Home Again
by CadenceIX
Summary: Peter returned to life only to watch his mentor die and learn his friend's didn't disappear like him, so his first love moved on with his friend. Events lead to a battle which brings the Avengers and Defenders together as Peter tries to find his place in a changed world. [Complete] [Part 1 of If This Be My Home series.]
1. Chapter 1

**AN:**

This story takes place post-Endgame, though the first chapter takes place during the funeral scene at the end of the movie. There will also be at least one chapter set pre-Infinity War and post-Homecoming to setup a change to the time between movies which doesn't change Infinity War or Endgame. Apart from that the major change to canon as of the end of Endgame is that Peter was the only one from Homecoming to get dusted.

* * *

**Chapter One**

Peter Parker had been here before, watching a woman weeping as she cling to the corpse of the man she loved. Dressing to mourn the man he respected most in the world. Blaming himself for not preventing it.

May knocked on his door, smiling when he looked to her with a hopeless look as he undid his tie for the fourth time. "Want some help?"

"I can get it," he assured her, but she could see he was getting frustrated so walked over and waved his hands away so she could take over.

"Did you sleep?" she asked quietly, purposely focusing on his tie. They both knew she knew, but it was her duty to ask.

"Better than the night before," he offered.

"I'm sure it'll get easier," she said finishing the knot and moving on to straightening his tie.

Sympathy colored her features as she brushed his hair back and turned to look at him in the mirror. Peter turned and looked himself over, his gaze drifting from his black suit to his aunt. Maybe it was his enhanced perception or just the fact that what had been days for him had been years for her, but it was as if he could see the five years she lived without him etched into her face.

"I'm sorry."

With a sigh, May squeezed his shoulder and rubbed his back, resting her head against his. "I told you, sweetie, you don't have to apologize."

"I left you alone," he whispered. "Ben and then me. I just…"

May reached up, placing her hands on either side of his head and kissing his temple, then ruffling his hair and smirking as he groaned at having it messed after he brushed it. "Some part of me always knew you'd be back. Otherwise we'd be having this discussion in my home office."

She was relieved to hear him chuckle, even if it lacked his usual cheer. With both of them dressed and ready they sat in the living room, May handing Peter her phone to quickly text Happy telling them they were ready.

Moments later a spark of amber light cut through the air of the living room and both got to their feet as the portal opened and they saw a lakeside house through it. Peter stopped mid stride when he felt May grab his hand, eyeing the rift dubiously.

"I've only been on a plane twice," she admitted suddenly.

"And I've been on a space ship. This is nothing, May." He shifted his arm to take her hand in his. "Just follow me."

Her first time seeing a portal like this was days ago when Peter returned from the ruined Avengers facility upstate and now she was going through one. It was one thing to accept that Peter was Spider-Man, but another entirely to see the oddities of his life in person. It was amazing to see how nonchalant he was to it all, and not in his usual defensive way. She was torn between concern for and pride in the boy she'd raised.

While Peter casually strode through the hole in space and time, May cautiously put one foot through before leaping forward. She turned, gasping when the portal snapped shut and she found a tall, slender man in a black suit lowering his hand which had a trail of amber light fading from his fingers.

"Thanks for the shortcut, Doc," Peter said turning to face him. She saw both a flicker of annoyance with the nickname in the man, and a flicker in Peter's eye that told her he knew it annoyed the doctor and enjoyed it. "Doc, this is my Aunt, May. May, this is Doctor Strange. He's pretty strict about using fake names."

Strange sighed as beside him a portly Asian man snickered. "I told you, Mr. Parker, Strange is my surname."

"It is pretty weird, yeah," Peter said with a sagely nod.

"Oh I know this," May said patting Peter's arm. "Who's on second?"

Knowing she played up the awkward older role as she often did with him he countered by asking, "What's that?" His 'youthful ignorance' bit always frustrated the older folk, and much to his enjoyment made his aunt snicker while Wong and Strange sighed. Motioning to the house, Peter asked, "Are we early or late?"

"Not early enough to see the fighting," Strange said with a shrug.

"Who was fighting?" Peter asked, surprising himself with the flare of anger in his voice. It felt incredibly insulting to think anyone would even think about starting a fight at Mr. Stark's funeral. Of course his immediate thought was he should find whoever it was and punch them.

"It seems Doctor Banner and General Ross have some history beyond the Accords," Wong offered quietly.

"Ross is here?" Peter said with a gasp, glancing toward the house.

"He comes in peace," Wong assured. "They had words but were convinced to put their personal feelings aside."

"He's alone surrounded by, well," Strange motioned from them to the house, "us."

Wong nodded. "He's not going to start anything."

With a wary nod, Peter looked to May, who gave him a supportive smile before they made their way to the house while Strange introduced them to Wong.

As they reached the deck the house doors opened and Pepper Potts stepped through the threshold. The moment her eyes settled on Peter she took a shaky breath and smiled. "Peter."

"Hi, Miss Potts."

They'd only really met a few times, maybe a handful of those actually in person and more than a second or two in passing or at her wedding where she was otherwise occupied, yet she rushed forward to pull him into a hug as if he was more than some acquaintance. It felt like one of May's hugs, specifically the desperate, relieved kinds that were abundant after Ben died.

After a moment, Pepper pulled away with a look of embarrassment. "I'm sorry," she said wiping her cheek, "I just-"

She was cut off by Peter suddenly putting his arms around her for another hug. May felt a swell of pride realizing he'd done that more for Pepper than himself, silencing her apology and easing her concern as she let out a relieved sigh and gently patted his shoulder, whispering a quick thank you to him before they separated.

Pepper looked from him to May and Peter was surprised to see the familiarity in her smile. "May."

"I'm so sorry for your loss," May said taking Peter's place in hugging her.

"You two know each other?" Peter asked looking back and forth between them.

Both women chuckled as they separated and looked to Peter. "Tony, Pepper and Happy were a lot of help for me early on. They kept checking up on me."

Nodding, Peter looked to Pepper with a grateful smile. "Thank you."

"Come inside," Pepper said motioning to the others before looking to Peter, "there's someone I'd like you to meet, Peter."

Inside he saw most of the guest already arrived, including most of the Avengers and even the Guardian's of the Galaxy. While the mystics peeled away to rejoin them Pepper led May and Peter to the kitchen where Happy was sat with a small, somber girl on his knee.

When he saw them arrive, Happy smiled yet didn't seem very happy. "Hey, Kid. May."

"Happy," May said with a nod.

Morgan seemed to come out of her daze, turning with a somber smile to wave at Peter's aunt. "Hi, Miss May."

While May returned her wave, Morgan's gaze shifted to Peter and she gasped, her eyes widening as she clutched Happy's arm. Peter's brow knit and his stomach flipped at the thought of upsetting this girl May told him about the day he returned and he'd seen from afar during the public funeral and burial.

He'd been glad to hear Mr. Stark and the others were around to help, but he'd almost expected it upon hearing from Rhodey that May hadn't disappeared like he did. But it was a shock to hear he had a daughter of his own.

"Morgan's a sweet girl," May said as they sat for dinner the night before. "She's smart as either of them, but Pepper says she's all Tony since she gets into everything and fiddles with all her toys."

As Peter listened to his aunt describe the girl, he could only think that Morgan was the last piece of Tony Stark left in this world. Ben never had a child with May or anyone else, so when Peter held dying uncle he watched the last piece of Ben Parker leave the world, but it was different with Tony Stark. There was a piece of him left in Morgan, a piece Peter vowed to protect forever. He owed Mr. Stark at least that much.

So seeing her reel at the sight of him made him dread the thought he might somehow repulse her. As he started to wonder if he should leave, he saw her whisper, "Peter."

All his twisting emotions gave way to confusion as he looked from May to Pepper, noting that both of them and even Happy were teary eyed. He warily looked away from them, turning his attention back to Morgan as he sank to his knee and smiled at her as best he could.

"Seems like you already know me," he said reaching a hand out to her. "I'm Peter Parker."

The girl stared at him with big, glassy eyes before her lips stretched, trying to smile before suddenly hopping off Happy and throwing herself at him. Morgan threw her arms around him and started sobbing into his shoulder. Pepper and May had their own teary smiles watching as Peter quickly pushed aside his confusion and concern to soothingly shush her and rub her back.

"It's okay," he whispered to her, gently brushing her hair before carefully standing with her in his arms. Morgan's grip on him tightened as he found May, Pepper and Happy staring at them with somber smiles.

Since they were no help, Peter turned to look at the others in the room and found half of them staring at them with similar looks. Peter looked to Strange for help, but the doctor smirked and shrugged.

Peter then looked to Steve Rogers, who wore his own solemn smile at the sight while beside him Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson smirked and Wanda Maximoff wore a more stoic expression with a hint of a smile. Rhodey grinned while beside him Thor and Hulk wore their own glassy eyed smiles. It was unsettling seeing two of the strongest men in the universe weepy, so he quickly turned away from the room and focused on Morgan.

Thankfully she seemed to be cried out, slowly pulling her head from his shoulder to look at him. "I take it you know who I am?" He said with a laugh. "May must've shown you lots of pictures of me, huh?"

"Sometimes," Morgan said with a nod. "Daddy too."

Surprised, Peter asked, "He did?"

Morgan pointed to the kitchen, where his enhanced vision let him see the edge of a photo on a shelf by the sink. "You're Daddy's pupil," she said turning back to Peter.

That earned a snort from May and snickered from Happy while Pepper rolled her eyes. "Pupil?" Peter said with a smirk.

"That's what daddy called you," she said somberly. "It's like a son."

Peter hadn't been expecting someone so small to hit him so hard, but it felt like the air was knocked out of him. He managed to quickly hide it, his mind suddenly making a few connections which made the smile he put on more natural. "I guess that kind of makes me your brother, huh?"

He was a bit surprised to see her nod as if that was something she long ago accepted. "Mmhmm."

"Well then you know that means if you ever need anything you can ask me and I'll do everything I can to help, right?"

"Really?" she asked skeptically. "Even get me a juice pop?"

"Definitely," he said, amending when he saw Pepper shake her head, "after the party."

Peter returned Morgan to Happy while Pepper took them around the room, making introductions. To his relief she told Ross he was a promising intern Tony took an interest in, much as he had the young Harley Keener. The presence of the two made his story easily accepted by the general, who excused himself to wait for Fury and Maria Hill outside.

They already met Wong and Strange on the way to the house, though May gasped and bowed when Pepper introduced them to T'Challa and his retinue of Okoye and Shuri. "May," Peter whispered in embarrassment.

"Show some respect," she said swatting his arm, earning snickers from the king and his party.

"It is fine, Mrs. Parker," T'Challa assured, nodding to Peter, how did the same. With a smirk he declared, "I can forgive such insolence."

While May had been honored to meet T'Challa, Peter said the same when he shook Hank Pym's hand. "I've read some of your papers, sir. You're incredible."

"Please don't feed his ego," Janet Van Dyne said with a laugh. "It's big enough as is."

"Luckily shrinking things is his specialty so it doesn't tip the van over," Scott said with a shrug.

"Hey, Bug Boy." Peter, Scott Land and Hank Pym all turned toward Rhodey, who shook his head. "I meant the big one."

"Hey," Hank and Scott said when Rhodey came over to shake Peter's hand.

"May this is Colonel James Rhodes," Peter said stepping aside.

Snickering, May shook Rhodey's hand. "We've met."

"Tony had us all over for dinner a time or two," Rhodey said to answer Peter's confusion. "And it's Brigadier General now."

"Congrats," said Peter and Scott. Hope rolled her eyes that her boyfriend had the vocabulary of a teenager before offering, "Congratulations, General."

Peter led things as they moved toward the group of aliens stood around a table, introducing May to the Guardians he knew while Rhodey introduced him to Rocket. Eventually Pepper stepped away, sending Strange off to bring the last of their guests while Quill asked May about some old show and Nebula told Peter about her time traveling the galaxy with Rocket for the Avengers.

When Pepper returned she did so with the mystics and Nick Fury, Maria Hill and Carol Danvers, who flashed him a smirk as he half waved at her. The room quieted not because of the guests but because of the somberness that had retaken Pepper now all of them were in attendance.

Peter wasn't sure what to feel watching Tony's holographic image speaking to them. Part him shared Morgan's obvious aversion, feeling it was like watching a ghost. Another felt like it was rubbing salt into the wounds, showing him the man he would never have the chance to speak to again. He would never get to hear Tony Stark chastise him or groan whenever he asked if he saw some old classic movie.

After watching Tony's final message, everyone made their way to the lake where they watched Pepper send off the reactor she once gave Tony.

Most of them had been there days earlier for the grand, public funeral and burial but Peter was kept at a distance to protect his secret identity. The distance helped him detach himself from the funeral and burial, but he struggled to fight back tears as he watched the reactor drift away.

However it wasn't May squeezing his shoulder that kept them in but guilt. He felt like he didn't deserve to cry or feel any sorrow. From the dark depths of his soul he could hear voices whispering in his mind. 'It's your fault. You could have prevented it. You're no better than them.'

It was the same ones he heard at Ben's funeral, the ones that drove him to go out every night that week and hunt down the one who shot him. It was the same whispers that almost made him punch a hole through the face of the man who murdered his uncle. Instead he'd punched so many holes in the walls of the abandoned building that half the roof collapsed after he left.

"Peter." May whispered, feeling him tense as Rhodey and Happy guided Pepper back toward the house. "Sweetie."

He couldn't move. If he did he would shatter. The tears would flow and they would know he was thinking it was his fault and just like with Ben they would tell him it wasn't even though he knew it was. He knew he could have done more, he could have done things differently.

"Queens."

The word snapped him from his haze and he turned to see Steve Rogers standing in front of him. Peter tried to smile, managing it after one failed attempt. "Brooklyn."

Steve smirked. "I have something I have to do tomorrow, but I was hoping we could speak before I head off." Glancing to May he asked, "If it's alright with you, Ma'am."

Pride colored May's smile as she looked to Peter, rubbing his shoulders before she kissed the side of his head. "Of course, Steve."

Peter's brow knit as he looked to his aunt. "Do you know all the Avengers?"

"Only the best ones," she said squeezing his shoulder before heading to the house.

He saw General Ross speak briefly to Fury before making his way toward the cars while the others went inside and May spoke with Clint's wife.

"How you holding up?" Steve asked as Peter turned back to him.

"Easily enough. Legs do most of the work," Peter answered with a dry laugh.

Steve smiled somberly as he thought that was the kind of deflective joke Tony would make. "I'm glad you're here. It would've meant a lot Tony."

"Probably would've meant more if he was here," he said quickly, then sighed and shook his head. "Sorry."

"Don't be. I bet he would've loved to be at his own funeral. I almost expected him to jump out of the casket and tell us we weren't sad enough." Seeing Peter nod, Steve reached over to squeeze his shoulder. "You can't blame yourself for this."

Peter's eyes swung up, wondering if he had made it obvious or if Steve just assumed that was something he would do. Either way the moment he met the soldier's gaze he could see he knew Peter blamed himself. But shockingly he realized it was probably because he was doing the same thing.

"I know I shouldn't, but I do."

"We all do," Steve said shaking his head. "It comes with the territory. You can't think about how different things could have been. It's better to think about what you can do going forward. Grow from it, don't let it eat at you. Use it."

Peter knew better than most that there wasn't really much that could've been done different, not if Doctor Strange was right. He had seen millions of different possibilities and of all of them only one ended with them winning, but that just made it worse for Peter.

'You were too stupid,' echoed through his mind. 'You never even tried. You were too scared. Too weak. You let him die.'

"It's why I do what I do," Peter admitted.

"Yeah?" Steve asked in surprise.

"If I can help people and I don't am I really any different from the bad guys?" Peter said with a shrug.

"Doing good doesn't make us good people, Peter." said Steve. "And not doing good doesn't make us evil."

"We have these powers," Peter said holding up his hand and closing it into a fist. "It's our responsibility to use them the right way." Seeing Steve looking impressed, Peter lowered his hand admitting, "My uncle used to tell me that."

Crossing his arms, Steve asked, "Did he know?"

Shaking his head, Peter answered, "No. It was just how he lived. With great power comes great responsibility meant more than the stuff we can do. To him great power was having spare blankets to give someone in need, or being able to share a meal with someone who was hungry."

"Your uncle sounds like a good man."

Peter's jaw shifted as he nodded, looking to the drifting reactor. "He was."

Steve followed his gaze, smiling as he turned back to Peter. "You know he talked about you a lot." When Peter arched his brow, Steve clarified, "Tony. The way he spoke about you wasn't too different from how he did with Morgan."

Peter gave a relenting nod. "He did treat me like a little girl."

Steve chuckled, probably the first since before Bruce snapped. "I meant like you were his kid."

Peter glanced back toward the house where he saw Morgan sat with Happy on the porch, she caught him looking and smiled, giving him a brief wave he returned.

"I heard he made you an Avenger," Steve said as Peter turned back to him.

"He just," Peter mimicked the mock knighting Tony gave him, "and said I was an Avenger to shut me up."

"Well then it's official." Peter looked up and saw Steve nodding. "Look, I know you're a kid. You've got a lot on your plate and I'm not asking you to do anything I don't think you're capable of. I just want you to know that as far as I'm concerned you're one of us."

Once again Peter felt his heart swell as it had when Tony told him he was an Avenger on the ship. "Really?" A flood of doubts hit him, shrinking his smile as he asked, "Does that means there's like a thousand Avengers now?"

"No. It's not just cause you fought with us. It's because you're you. Because Tony made sure we all knew the kind of person you are. Because you just told me how important helping people is to you."

Peter was stunned, his mouth gaping as he tried to say something but found himself uncertain what to say. Thanking him didn't feel like enough.

Clapping Peter's shoulder, Steve told him, "If you ever need anything you can rely on us. Just ask and we'll help however we can."

Leaning forward slightly, Peter whispered, "Do the others know you're letting me in?"

Steve said as he strode toward the house, "What do you think we were talking about before you showed up?"

Peter stood alone on the dock watching Steve, stopping briefly to wave at Morgan before he headed inside. Part of him wanted to jump up and let out a victorious cheer but even Peter knew that would be grossly inappropriate. He also felt a fresh wave of sorrow realizing while he was finally a real Avenger it was on a team that could never have Iron Man as part of it.

He turned and stared out at the lake, taking deep breaths to try and cool his burning eyes. That was where Wanda Maximoff saw him as she walked with Clint back toward the house. Though he was clearly standing off on his own to avoid any attention, to her he was like a beacon of emotion. Sorrow and guilt radiated off him, yet buried beneath it she sensed a deep warmth that swelled when he felt a small hand grab his sleeve and turned to see Morgan had come over to join him, wrapping her arm around his.

Clint noticed Wanda slowing her pace and turned, arching his brow as he followed her gaze, watching Peter put on a smile and kneel to be level with Morgan. He took her hand, swinging it lightly as they spoke, saying something which made her giggle.

"Looks like Itsy Bitsy is good with kids."

"He loves her," Wanda said a furrowed brow.

Clint knew she could sense it but he didn't need her powers to see that. It was clear in how Peter smiled when he spoke to her, the evident joy he felt hearing her laugh, the care he took while lifting her as if he couldn't lift a car over his head. It was how Clint was with Lila back when he could still pick her up without her complaining he was embarrassing her.

"She's all he has left of Tony," Clint said with a nod.

Wanda knew it was more than that. The emotion he felt toward the girl was not unlike what he felt toward May or even Pepper or Happy, but what surprised her was that it seemed to be a constant thing with him. It dwindled when he spoke to Ross, but buried all the fear and anxiety there was still an underlying, ever present speck of warmth which confused her. The oddest thing was how quickly it grew in others toward him.

When they were discussing him earlier, many said Tony admitted Peter had been his hope for the future, a large part of what he wanted them to become. Pepper said he'd admitted while she was pregnant that his time with Peter made him want his own family with her. It was clear to them Peter was the inheritor of Tony's will, a bastion of his hope for the world. Yet seeing him now Wanda wondered if the truth wasn't that Tony passed on his hope to Peter but that he'd gained it from him.

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**AN:**

This was mostly started on a whim and has changed a lot from what I originally thought it would be, but I think I have a feel fun ideas and ways to work in stuff. I'm planning to use some stuff from the shows, but they most likely won't be canon compliant to their sources. I'll take the characters and aspects that work and add to the story.

Next chapter starts the real Post-Endgame stuff.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

When they arrived at the new Stark Tower in Columbus Circle, Peter barely made it through the lobby when he heard an excited shriek followed by, "Peter!"

Instantly his frustration with his suit ended and he smiled spotting Morgan tugging at Pepper's hand and pointing to him. "I see him, too," her mother assured with a laugh before releasing her.

Peter quickly knelt to her level as she launched herself at him. He returned her hug with a laugh saying, "Hey, Morguna."

To his shock the girl's smile crumbled and she suddenly tightened her hug to cry into his shoulder. Terrified, Peter stared wide eyed up to Pepper, but seeing her frowning he quickly hugged Morgan back and picked her up.

Eventually she calmed and Pepper took her, whispering to her while Peter silently apologized.

They all went up to one of the conference rooms, where they were greeted by an older woman and an elderly man. Peter was shocked when the man called out to him as they stepped out of the elevator, "Queens."

Even with his enhanced vision he barely believed himself until he was right in front of the old man that was Steve Rogers. "Brooklyn?" he asked warily glancing at the lawyer.

"Been a while," Steve said chuckling.

While a few of the others snickered, their humor faded when they saw a flash of fear in Peter's face as he asked, "Did I-Was I gone again?"

"No-no," Steve assured, reaching out to squeeze his shoulder. "I was. I went back. It's okay, Peter."

"Sorry, sorry," he said shaking his head. "I shouldn't have-sorry."

They made their way into the office where they were all told to sit in specific seats before the lawyer who opened her briefcase, handed them folders, plugged a thumb drive into a port on the table and then left the room with a nod to Pepper Potts. She took a moment to whisper to Morgan before pressing a button which caused the file on the drive to play, bringing the projector on the table to life.

Once again a holographic Tony Stark appeared at the head of the room and greeted them. Peter frowned, taking in the details of his face and noticing how similar it was to the one they watched at the funeral. Most likely it was recorded around the same time, which told Peter he'd updated the will right before the Time Heist, as the Avengers called it.

"Pep," Tony said looking to where she was sat holding back tears and stroking Morgan's hair. "It's yours. My company, my heart, everything I have. It always was. I can't think of anyone better to care for everything my family built. Everything I built. Everything we built.

"At least now you won't have to waste so much time trying to make me attend meetings, right? I'll spare you the embarrassment by making a separate thing for you and Morgan," he said, though Pepper smiled somberly knowing he meant he was sparing himself. "But don't doubt I love you. I wasn't always great about showing it, but it was always true. I was a man with everything, but I'd give it all up for another day with you."

Taking a breath, he turned to the opposite side of the table. "Happy, I know she'll take care of you, but just to be sure I'm making it official that you keep your position as head of security and asset manager. Unofficially… Keep an eye on them for me."

"You got it, Boss," Happy whispered as the projected Tony turned toward Rhodey.

"Rhodey, my brother from another mother, I made sure your new legs will be taken care of no matter what happens. You'll be the first to receive any new models, free of charge. I'd appreciate it if you didn't bankrupt the company going through them like M&Ms though.

"Nat," he said to an empty chair between Rhodey and Steve, "Steve. You two are in charge of what's left of the Avengers. I'm leaving it to you and Rhodey to handle all of that, but I'm going to use your mourning guilt to make you take the kid. Look out for him, make sure he doesn't get in too deep with anything. I lost him once, and if I'm gone and you're hearing this, well assuming I'm anywhere, I don't really want to see him for a long time, got me? I know we don't have a lot of it, but if you trust me about one thing trust me about this. He's worthy."

Peter was pulled from his thoughts when the projected Tony turned to him. "Hey, Kid. God I hope you're back and I'm not talking to an empty chair. If I am, May, I'm sorry I failed. I'd beg your forgiveness, but, well, if you need to blame me then go ahead. If I'm not, then you're welcome."

Tony chuckled, leaning against an unseen surface. "Pete, you're a good kid. I know you'll do right by the others and prove me right yet again. But I'm gonna ask you to remember everything we talked about and try to live a life beyond this. Go on dates, kiss some girls, have some-well, you know I mean.

"I put aside some cash for you. A trust fund for my piece of mind. It should be enough so whatever happens, however hard it gets, you can get by. I also set aside a Stark scholarship to whatever school you want, but if you get some others well, use it for beer or something. I sent a few e-mails out to get you on a few people's radars, and Pepper can write a few recommendations when the times right.

"Pep, keep him on track. Sorry to add another plate to the pile, but you're the manager of his fund. Make sure he doesn't do anything too stupid or waste all the money. Pete, I've already sent e-mails to a few people in the company about you. As soon as you graduate you've got a job here, assuming you don't just… start your own company or make a subsidiary." They all saw the way Tony smirked and winked at Peter before turning to the seat beside him. "May, I'm sure you'll turn it down again, but if you've ever had enough of the Salvation Army there's always a place for you at Stark Industries."

Tony then turned his gaze to Pepper and started with a sing songy, "Morguna. Mom and I love you, but remember I'm you're favorite and you love me the most." He snickered, lowering his gaze to take a breath and steady himself before looking back to her. "I love you, Morgan H. Stark. Even if I'm not there, I love you. I always will, and I always have. I made one of these just for you and Mom to watch when you get home and whenever you miss me. I already miss you."

Even through the projection they could see his eyes turn glassy before he blinked and took a breath, turning his head. "Pete. I know you'll keep an eye on her, so thanks. Just know that if you take her web swinging before she'd old enough to drive I will find a way to come back and kick your ass around the world."

Peter looked down guiltily as the others chuckled and Morgan let out a disappointed groan.

"Everything in my garage, all my labs, it's all for you two. Morgan's already smarter than everyone on that side of the table," Tony said nodding toward the side with Happy, Rhodey, Steve and Nat's empty chair, earning their scoffs, "but I'm hoping you'll be her tutor if she ever needs one and her warden when it comes to my lab. I know I won't be able to keep her out of it but then I'm relying on your to make sure she's okay. Help her. Hold her hand where I can't. Be the brother I always wished you could be."

He was staring at Tony, nodding as if he could actually see him when it stood straight and sighed. "See you on the other side."

The projection ended and Pepper took a moment to breath and hug Morgan before turning to the others, sliding them the folders. Peter opened his and flipped through it with May while Pepper sent Morgan with Happy to get a snack. When she turned back she found Peter holding up his hand as if he was in class. "Uh, Miss Potts, I-I think there's a mistake."

"What's wrong Pete?" she asked walking around the table.

"I think you gave me too much."

She barely looked at the paper before Pepper chuckled and shook her head. "No mistake. It's what he wanted."

"Maybe, but it's…" Peter looked to the door Morgan left through before telling Pepper. "It's hers."

"It's yours. We both agreed to give you this. Even if he-" Pepper stopped to take a breath. "This has been something he wanted for a long time. We arranged for this two years ago when he thought maybe he had a way to reverse it but didn't work out. Peter…"

Pepper sighed and took the empty seat beside him. "Peter you were important to Tony. I know he never said it, you know how he was, but I know you're smart enough to know how he felt. How much he cared about you. What you meant to him and me. Without you I-I don't know if I would have Morgan. We got engaged because you turn down the Avengers that first time. Whatever you think, don't ever doubt how important you are to me or how important you were to him."

Peter looked down to keep from crumbling under her caring gaze. "I don't deserve it."

Across the table, Steve sighed. "Peter."

"I don't," he said shaking his head, looking to Steve and Pepper as May frowned and reached up to squeeze his shoulder. "I had it. I had the gauntlet and I could have-I could have just done it myself. I could have snapped."

Peter sat up, looking to Rhodey and Steve for confirmation. "Doctor Banner snapped to bring us all back and he survived. I'm not as strong as him but I'm stronger than Mr. Stark was. Maybe it would've been enough.

"Even if I didn't, it would just be me, right?" He said shakily, looking back to Pepper who sat with a hand over her mouth and tears in her eyes. "It should have been me. Mr. Stark, he-he… he…" He slumped forward, holding his head in his hands, unable to speak as tears soaked his palms.

He could feel Pepper and May stroking his back as he let out a mangled, "I'm sorry."

"Peter…" Once he raised his head she slid her chair forward to pull him into a hug. After a moment she pulled back and met his glassy gaze with a smile. "I know-knew Tony better than anyone, so trust me when I say he never would have wanted you to do it instead of him. Never."

"But he's… He was… He was Mr. Stark. I'm just… Spider-Man." He shook his head. "I'm nobody."

"You're Peter," Pepper said shaking her head. "You're May Parker's nephew and son. You're the only son of Richard and Mary Parker, the only son of Ben Parker and you're Morgan's brother."

When Morgan returned she was confused by the sniffling everyone was doing. While Happy asked what happened and Rhodey whispered an explanation to him, Morgan sat on her mother's lap asking, "Why is everyone sad?"

Peter smiled and assured her, "We're just happy, Morgan."

When they made their exits, Pepper told Peter and May, "You two might be seeing more of us in the next few weeks."

"Is something coming up?" asked Peter.

"We'll be moving here," Pepper told him. "With Tony gone I'll be here more often and I want to make sure Morgan's close so I can't just hire a nanny back at the house. Though I was hoping maybe I could convince you to babysit her every so often."

"Me?" Peter glanced to Morgan, who was giggling as Rhodey spoke with her. "If you think it's okay then of course. Whatever you need."

May waited until they were alone back in her apartment where she grabbed his wrist before he could go to his room, pulling him into a hug. It felt like he would have been sobbing if he didn't have his fill from Stark Tower. Once they separated she brushed his hair back and told him, "Next time you ever feel like that, talk to me. I promise I won't judge you or whatever you're worried about. I just want to know you're okay."

"I know, May, I do, I just… If I say it I can't ignore it, you know?"

"You shouldn't ignore it," she said shaking her head. "You have to let it out otherwise it will all just build up until it's too much. You're can't do that, Peter, not if you're going to go out there and put yourself as risk. Not if it can make you screw up and get you hurt or worse. I can't-" She took a shaky breath, pulling him into another hug as she declared, "I can't lose you again."

Peter held her much as he had when he came through Strange's portal, letting her tears soak his shoulder.

It was only three weeks later when Peter was waiting outside a building on the upper east side and he spotted a familiar sedan pull up and Happy got out, opening the door for Pepper and Morgan, who leapt out toward Peter. She knew when she leapt as high as she could at him he would catch her in mid air, spinning the giggling girl before he set her back down and ruffled her hair.

"Morning, Miss Potts, Happy," he said leading Morgan back to the car, letting Pepper take her hand from his.

"I got it," Happy said opening the trunk and pulling out a box. He barely reached the sidewalk when he heard the trunk close and turned to see Peter holding the last three boxes with a smug smirk.

"This is it?" he asked following them into the lobby.

"Show off," Happy mumbled before telling him, "The movers brought everything else two days ago."

Pepper guided them into the elevator and back out once they were on their floor. "Happy, that one goes in my room at the end of the hall. The one on top goes there too, Pete. There rest are Morgan's"

Peter made his way down the hall, letting Happy take Peppers box before he followed Morgan into her room. Setting the boxed down, he glanced toward the door before whispering. "Mo."

She looked up rearranging the pillows on her bed and gasped when she saw him leap and flip onto the ceiling, letting his arms hang down. She saw him wave his hands so hurried over and grabbed them, giggling as he swung her back and forth while walking around the ceiling, spinning so she twirled around the room.

Morgan's squeal of delight was cut off by Pepper clearing her throat. Peter turned to the door and went wide eyed seeing Pepper standing there with her arms crossed as the dangling Morgan kicked her feet and beamed. "Mommy look! Peter really can walk on the ceiling!"

"I can see that," Pepper said arching her brow.

Peter carefully stood on his toes, letting Morgan reach the ground before he released her then flipped back to the floor. "Sorry, Miss Potts."

After eyeing him a moment she warned, "Just please be careful and keep it to low ceilings."

With May busy at work Peter stayed with the Starks and even had his first bit of babysitting when Happy had to take Pepper to Stark Tower with a promise to return with dinner. Pepper seemed relieved they hadn't destroyed the apartment, though they had spent a solid hour with Morgan swinging from his hands and asking him to do flips with her or show off. There was also a big ball of web waiting to dissolve and evaporate in the trash.

When they sat down to eat Pepper set aside her phone and took her time cutting Morgan's food into small micro pieces before turning her attention to Peter. "So I saw a couple reports that Spider-Man's back in town. How is it being back after so long?"

"Not too different," Peter offered with a shrug. "People still steal cars and mug people like half of us didn't come back from nothing. Lot more domestics."

Pepper's brow arched before she asked, "What about outside of your night job?"

Peter glanced to Morgan, who was busy dipping her fries in ketchup. Turning back to Pepper he shrugged. "I don't know. It's… I don't know. It's weird having five years I just… missed. It's like I overslept for five years instead of five minutes."

Pepper frowned. The moment he said sleep she suddenly was flooded with memories of Tony struggling to sleep after going through the portal over New York. "How are you sleeping?"

The way Peter froze for a second was enough to tell her he lied when he answered, "Pretty well."

"You don't have to lie, Peter," she said quietly. "Tony had trouble sleeping plenty of times."

Peter glanced to Happy, who Peter knew talked to May and would now surely tell her he wasn't sleeping. "How did he get over it?"

"I don't know that he did," she admitted. "He tried to bottle it up but it just kept getting worse and worse, but eventually he worked through it. The next times it came up were shorter and shorter until it was just a thing that happened every so often. It was always there, he just managed it better."

"Managed it?"

"By not managing it," she said with a nod. "Like I said, at first he tried bottling it up but then when he would have a nightmare or anything that upset him, really upset him, he would talk to me about it. I made sure he knew all he had to do was roll over and talk to me. Even if we were apart he could call me whenever and we'd talk as long as he needed."

"Must've been nice," Peter said looking to his plate and picking at his food before stabbing a bit of chicken and downing it.

Happy and Pepper shared a frown before Happy said, "Your aunt mentioned you talked to you ex."

"Well it wasn't her-" Peter started angrily, then winced and shook his head, "Sorry."

"It's okay, kid," Happy assured. "I get it. Trust me, I've been where you are."

"I doubt that," Peter said with a scoff, shoveling more food into his mouth so he didn't have to speak more.

"Peter," Pepper said reaching out to place a hand over his, "if you ever need someone to talk to-"

"Please," he said setting down his fork while pulling his hand away from her. "Please, just… I know. I know everyone's here if I need them I just…" Peter sighed and stood. "Thank you for the meal, Miss Potts." He quickly rubbed Morgan's head telling her, "See you next time, Momo."

"Peter," she started, but by the time she got to her feet he had strode toward the door, his enhanced speed making his quick strides about as fast as she could run. She reached the hall just in time to see the elevator doors close, carrying him down to the lobby. Slamming her hand to threshold she made her way back to the table groaning, "Shit."

"Shit," Morgan echoed, chewing a mouthful of food with a smile.

After a night on patrol, Peter saw the moon sink into the horizon and made his way back to May's apartment. It was still dark when he climbed through his window and dropped onto his bed, letting his armor retract into the pod on the back of his shirt which he pulled off and set aside while pulling up his blankets.

Barely eighty minutes passed before May entered his room to wake him. "Come on, Pete. You're gonna be late." He sat up groaning and May snickered. "What happened to the boy who used to get excited to go to school?"

"He was out late," Peter sigh wiping his eyes, leaning over to pull the armor pod off his shirt and switch it to the fresh one he pulled on.

"You're starting to sound like an actual teenager," she teased.

As she turned to leave, Peter slid around, setting his feet on the floor as he said, "May. I want to leave Midtown."

She spun around gasping. "You want to drop out?"

"No, no," he said going wide eyed. "I want to graduate early. I'd ask to go somewhere else but there's not really a better school anywhere nearby, so I want to just finish up and move on."

"Peter-"

"I can't keep going back there, May," he pleaded. "Like you said I used to love school but now I just… I hate it. I just-I can't stand another class about something I was caught up on two years ago. I can't even read other papers and stuff in class, so it just feels like a waste when I could actually be learning about stuff like quantum resonance or nanite neural networks. Everyone I knew there is gone and I have the Stark Scholarship, maybe I can start college a bit early or something."

Looking into his eyes she saw a hint of desperation that left her frowning. "How would it work?"

"I can take a few more classes to take their finals and get the credits. I could fill out my schedule so I go in to the early classes and leave with the late ones."

"So you want to spend more time there."

"Better two more hours each day for a few months instead of another year," Peter said with a shrug.

May knew why he couldn't stand being there anymore. She knew how much the memories of what he had hurt. The echoes of the life he had renewed every morning. It must've felt like a tortuous prison at times. Part of he wished he could shrug it off but it would be too cold for him. She knew how happy he was before Thanos came to Earth, before he disappeared, before he returned to find it wasn't just five years and a mentor that he lost.

* * *

**AN:**

I mostly gave Pete a trust fund so that I can explain him actually being able to afford an apartment in NYC no matter where he's working. It'll be the kind of thing he doesn't want to touch so will hold off on unless he has to, but can also be used to explain how he replaces tech and stuff if it's not from Stark.

I imagine the 3rd movie will be graduation so I'm basically skipping that or fusing it with Far From Home. I'll probably include bits of it to some degree, but obviously it won't be the same without Ned and MJ around.

Next chapter we flash back to see what Peter lost.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

After everything with Liz, Peter wasn't sure he'd ever date anyone again. He spent his nights dodging bullets and knives yet was terrified a girl might say no or call him a creep. He considered asking Michelle. Despite how she was he thought she was probably the easy option only because if she turned him down it wouldn't be some embarrassing scene. She would just call him lame and walk off.

Peter was maybe two days away from building up the courage to just ask Michelle out when he noticed Betty wasn't on the school news. By lunch Ned rushed over telling him, "Did you hear about Betty? Her dad was killed and her mother is on life support in the hospital."

"What? How?"

"I don't know. People are saying her her dad had a ton of debt and someone came to collect, but I heard her mom was sick for a long time too." Ned shrugged. "We gotta do something, right?"

Peter nodded. "Of course. I'll look into it after school."

Karen dug up enough to tell him Betty's mother was sick, which was how her father accumulated his debts. He tried gambling to get enough to pay for her bills but kept losing and borrowing money from people.

"Is there any way to track who he was borrowing from?" Peter asked Karen as they swung through the city that night.

"Not from public record," Karen answered.

Peter landed on a roof, taking a moment to think before he let out a sigh and asked, "Can you find Betty Brant's address and the hospital where her mother is being kept?"

Her house was clearly unoccupied and still taped off, so Peter made his way to the hospital. "Should I go in as me or Spider-Man?"

"You are Spider-Man," Karen said blankly.

Peter chuckled. "You know what I mean."

"Are you close to Betty?"

Peter shook his head. "Not really."

"Do you want to be?"

Peter blinked at the question. "What?"

"If you want to help her as Peter then help her as Peter. If you want to help her as Spider-Man then help her as Spider-Man."

After a moment, Peter told Karen, "Tell me when visiting hours are through."

When Betty Brant left the hospital that night, she was surprised to find Peter Parker sat on a bench, holding a brown bag between his legs as his head bobbed to music. Wiping her eyes, she called out, "Peter?"

His head snapped up and he swiftly pulled his ear buds out while standing. "Hey, Betty, hey, um. Hey."

She tried to put on a polite smile but couldn't manage it. "What are you doing here?"

"I-I heard about…" He glanced at the hospital, then looked to her somberly and held up the bag. "I thought maybe you could use some food."

He almost expected her to just walk off but she looked him over for a few seconds, clearly surprised by it before stepping forward and snatching the bag from his hands and turning to sit on the bench. Wide eyed, Peter sank back to sit beside her as she opened the bag and pulled out a bag of chips and an ice tea.

At first they just sat there quiet as she ate, Peter taking a lone chip when she offered him some. Once she finished off a second bag and her drink, she set the bag aside and wiped her hands on one of the brown napkins he'd put inside it.

Peter wondered what he should say, what he could say that would seem anything but hollow to her. He briefly considered just telling her he would find the people behind it but decided instead to glance at her and ask, "Do you have someplace to go?"

Betty took a shaky breath. "My uncle's in the Brooklyn. My brother was supposed to pick me up, but… He's probably off getting high or something."

Peter nodded. "If it's okay with you, I'd like to walk you there."

"To the Brooklyn?" she asked with a weak smile.

"Well, not walk, but, you know, escort you on the bus or whatever."

Betty nodded. "Okay. Thanks."

"It's my pleasure," he said as they stood and made their way to the nearest stop.

Once they boarded and found a pair of clean seats Peter stayed quiet, not wanting to let others know her business. Instead he took a breath and cautiously reached his hand over to take hers while keeping his head forward. She was surprised, staring at his hand for a moment, but squeezed it and sniffled.

They stayed like that until they reached her stop and they stood, neither releasing their grip as they made their way back to the sidewalk. Peter walked to her uncle's house with her, which was when their hands finally separated and Peter smiled to her. "If you need anything at school or maybe just another junk food meal just let me know."

She stared at him in confusion for a moment, then smiled and nodded. "Tomorrow?"

"I'll be there," he told her, and he was.

He was there the next night and each one after until the day she finally returned to school. Peter was tempted to make his way over to check on her at lunch but stopped himself. He was still a loser and she didn't need to be embarrassed having him around.

While he was eating with Ned he was surprised when Betty came over and set her tray down beside him. "Do you mind?" When he shook his head she smiled lightly and took the seat beside him.

Suddenly he was nervous as they started to eat, Ned looking shocked and asking if she had the right table. She glanced at Peter and nodded, telling Ned, "I needed a change."

"Next time I'll buy chips," Peter said with a somber smirk.

Ned furrowed his brow when Betty smiled, her cheeks flushing as she looked down and started eating. Peter barely spoke to her, his nerves eating at him while Ned asked her if she was going back to the school news and how she got into the production. When the bell rang Peter took her tray to dump it while she put on her bag and waited to walk with him.

"You sure about this?" he asked quietly, holding the door for her to exit the cafeteria.

She answered with a nod, walking beside him to the second floor before giving him a wave and heading to her class while he continued to the third floor. Barely a second later Ned asked what that was about but Peter shrugged. "I don't know."

He knew, he just was confused. He decided to help her as Peter because he thought maybe she would be freaked out by Spider-Man and having someone she knew might be better. He hadn't gone there hoping for anything, but after she chose to sit with him and Ned at the loser's table he couldn't help but wonder.

Peter felt awful as he made his way to the hospital that night. It suddenly felt like he was taking advantage of her or cheating or something, but he couldn't just ditch her.

It was the next day that he made his way to the hospital and found her sat on the bench already, her shoulders shaking and her head in her hands. "Betty," he gasped, realizing what happened as he sprinted to the bench.

Hearing him approach, she looked up and he saw her cheeks streaked with tears, her lip quivering as she tried to speak. Peter quickly took the seat beside her and put his arm around her, pulling her into a hug, letting her cry into his collar.

"I wish I could have done something, Betty," he whispered while rubbing her back. "I'm so sorry."

She stopped crying after a few minutes, but stayed in place, hugging him with her head resting on his shoulder. Occasionally she would go back to crying briefly, but eventually she sat up and wiped her cheeks. "Sorry about your shirt."

"It's an old shirt," he assured. "I was thinking about turning it to a handkerchief anyway."

Betty snickered, her smile falling away but then returning weakly as she met his eyes. "Thank you."

Peter shook his head, hesitantly reaching up to brush aside a bit of hair sticking to her cheek. When he went to retract his hand she reached up to catch it, glancing at it before she suddenly put her other hand on his cheek and leaned in, pressing her lips to his.

He briefly returned it on instinct before realizing what was happening. Betty realized at the same moment and pulled away from him with a gasp. It was Peter whose brow knit in shame as he said, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."

Betty shook her head, getting to her feet with him and grabbing his hand. "Peter." When he turned to her she wrapped her arms around him, holding him as she whispered into his collar, "Don't leave me alone. Please."

His shame swelled as he realized what he'd nearly done. Wrapping his arms around her he leaned his cheek against her head telling her, "I won't."

They stood there for a minute before Peter asked if she needed to be here and she shook her head. Peter reached down to take her hand and asked to walk her home again. Their hands stayed like that all the way to her uncle's house, which was where they finally said more than a word or two in passing.

"I've been wanting to do that for a long time," Betty said as they came to a stop and she turned to him.

"Like a week?" He guessed.

Betty shook her head. "About a year."

"What? That long?"

Betty nodded. "It was around when your uncle died. You were so sad at first, I thought you wouldn't be anything like you were, but then you came back. I noticed you cut class a bit more but you weren't just this sad mess. You were nice and kind and cute and… If it wasn't so obvious you liked Liz I might've done this a lot sooner."

"That was a while ago though," he said shaking his head.

"Which is when everything with my dad got worse," she whispered. "I couldn't even convince myself to call my friends over anymore. I was terrified someone would show up demanding their money and hurt them."

Peter nodded, turning his hand in hers to lace their fingers. "If that ever happens call me right away, okay?"

Betty chuckled. "And what? Let them beat you up instead?"

"I know Spider-Man, remember," he said squeezing her hand. "Just call me. Promise."

Betty saw sincere concern in his eyes and realized he cared for her and didn't want to lose her like he did his uncle and she did her parents. "Promise," she whispered, her hand cupping his cheek when their eyes met and her lips caught his as he leaned in to kiss her.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Rise and Shine, Midtown Science and Technology, I'm Betty Brant." Her voice made Peter smile as he stopped and turned to watch the report every time she was on screen.

At lunch he suddenly found their table holding a few more people as Betty's friends started joining them. He was fully prepared to bring her as his guest to Mr. Stark's wedding, but he and May made their reservations months earlier. Peter was sure Mr. Stark wouldn't have minded him showing up with his new girlfriend, but he also knew there was a significant chance he would go out of his way to mercilessly embarrass him the moment he saw her. He certainly did when Peter mentioned her in passing one day.

"What was that?" Tony Stark said looking up from his phone, finding Peter wincing as he realized he'd slipped. "Did you say girlfriend? Does baby Peter have a girlfriend?"

"I'm not a baby," he snapped, flustered as he noticed Pepper look up from her tablet across the room with a smirk. "Look, just-forget I said anything."

"Oh no," Tony said rising from his desk. "If you're going to date this girl she has to be properly vetted and tested. What if she has some disease."

"Betty's doesn't have a disease," he said with a scoff.

"So her name is Betty," Tony said with a victorious grin. "That'll narrow things down. FRIDAY, could you tell me who this Betty is that Peter is dating?"

Peter scoffed. "Oh yeah, she's just gonna-"

"Here she is, sir. Elizabeth Brant," FRIDAY said as the screen to Peter's right came to life showing pictures of Peter and Betty pulled from her social media accounts.

"Aww," Pepper cooed from across the room. "They're adorable, Tony."

"She's cute, kid," he said clapping Peter's shoulder. "What's her deal?"

"Her deal is she's my girlfriend," Peter said defensively through grit teeth.

"Wow." Tony scoffed and looked to Pepper, who rolled her eyes and returned her attention to her tablet. "That is very misogynistic, Peter. This girl is more than your girlfriend. How can you diminish her like that? How'd you convince her to give you shot? Bribing her with swings around town?"

Peter glared at the grinning man. He knew it was petty but he wanted to get rid of his smirk so said, "I went to bring her some food at the hospital after her dad was murdered and her mother was left in critical condition."

Pepper raised her head in shock as Tony's humor evaporate. He could see the pain in Peter's eyes, as if it had been his parents who died.

"He owed money to bad people and it caught up to him and left his wife brain damaged, but she died after a week." Peter's gaze fell as he sighed. "I tried to find who did it, but everyone I could find said had alibis and swore it wasn't them."

"I'll have some people look into it, Kid," said Tony.

When he turned to Pepper she said, "Already on it."

"You don't have to-"

Tony cut him off by squeezing his shoulder. "Of course we do. She's your girl."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

They had been together barely three months when she came over for dinner with May for the third time. May was her usual charismatic self and Betty was practically interviewing her yet again. The first time had been all about May, the second all about Peter and that night it was about Ben and Peter's parents, which led to May bringing out the photo albums.

She was looking through pictures of him when she giggled saying, "No surprise this adorable baby became a cutie."

It was as she looked at him with her toothy smile that Peter knew he loved her. He suddenly thought how great it would be to have little brown haired kids with her smile and eyes.

"Shit," he whispered as she went back to talking with May and he realized he suddenly had a big choice to make.

How could he even think of telling her that when she didn't really know him? She still got annoyed whenever he disappeared without a proper excuse. It was a pain trying to get around it because she always noticed when he disappeared or cut classes. There was also the fact that just because he loved her didn't mean she felt the same, and he knew objectively that most high school couples don't stay together, so it would be safer to just not tell her.

He didn't get the chance to debate it much, as later that night when he walked her home they sat on her uncle's steps for a while as they usually did, holding each others hands while they spoke with frequent kissing interludes. After going on about how cute he was as a baby, she slipped.

"I bet our babies will be even cuter," she said with a giggle that turned to a gasp. Her face flushed with embarrassment, but he squeezed her hand to keep her from fleeing to her house.

"Only if they have your smile," he said meeting her eyes.

She was clearly relieved, silently thanking him for not freaking out. Her hand reached out for his cheek. "And your hair."

"And your nose," he said leaning closer.

"And your eyes," she said with a grin.

He held her gaze as he whispered, "I love you, Betty Brant."

Though she took a breath in surprise she didn't hesitate to say, "I love you, Peter Parker."

Their lips met and Peter pulled her tight against him, Betty clinging to his shirt as their kiss deepened. It was almost a minute before they separated, each taking heavy breaths. "I love you," one of them would say before giving the other a quick kiss. It went back and forth a few times before Peter caught her lips and their passion flared again.

They broke only when Peter's phone buzzed, and even then it was her who broke away while he groaned. Betty giggled and told him, "It could be important."

Peter sighed, relenting to check his phone which he found he regretted. "It is," he whispered.

Betty's smile faded. "What's wrong?"

"Stark Internship," he said shaking his head. "Sorry."

Frowning, Betty leaned in to kiss his cheek. "I'm starting to get jealous of Tony Stark."

"I'm sure you're not the only one," Peter said with a smirk, placing a kiss on her jaw before quickly pecking lips and getting to his feet.

After he escorted her to the door, Peter hurried down the street, putting his phone to his ear as it called Tony Stark. "Mr. Stark, what's the emergency?"

"I'm at the office. Get here ASAP."

Tony's grim tone surprised Peter, but made sense when he arrived and found Happy and Tony both looking upset. "What's up?" Peter asked taking the seat across from Tony.

Tony put his hand on a folder on his desk. "The people I had look into your girlfriend's situation came back with a likely suspect."

"They did?" He perked up. "Who?"

Tony pulled the folder back when Peter reached for it, making him arch his brow. "I need to know you won't do anything stupid when I give this to you, which I'm only doing because I trust you."

Peter looked to Happy, who stood off to the side frowning, before nodding to Tony. "Whatever you want."

Tony looked him over for a moment before sliding it over.

Peter opened the folder and read the file, his brow knit as he whispered, "Bennett Brant?" He looked to Tony in confusion. "Her brother?"

Tony nodded. "Most likely. He's involved with some pretty nasty people. Traffickers, killers, and he has a growing addiction. His father had just taken a loan, so probably had some cash on hand. It was probably too much temptation for him. He's been off grid since then."

Peter gaped. "Her brother."

"I've asked a few people to look for him, so you don't have to do anything," Tony said watching Peter. "I'm only telling you so you have a heads up."

"Don't lie to me."

"It's not a lie, Peter. It's not guaranteed either, but most likely-"

"I mean about this," he said throwing the folder down. "You know I can't just sit here and let him… He could hurt Betty. I have to find him and put him away."

"I won't let that happen," Tony assured.

Peter shook his head. "I just… I just told her…"

"Told her what?" Tony asked furrowing his brow, wondering if Peter somehow knew this before him.

"I love her," Peter said looking to Tony with defeat. "What am I supposed to do?"

Tony wore a somber smile as he said, "Let the cops handle it. We don't have to step in for everything. They'll find him and lock him up long before anything happens to your girl."

Fate proved Tony wrong as the next day at school, Betty told him, "My brother called me this morning." Peter tried not to let her notice how tense he got while she continued, "He spent ten minutes apologizing for ditching me and now he wants to meet up tonight."

"Betty-" Peter stopped himself. He couldn't tell her not to go without sounding like an asshole or blowing his cover. It took him a second to ask, "You sure it was him?"

"Of course, why?"

"Well you didn't know where he was, right? What if… what if it's a trick?"

Betty stopped and turned to him. "What do you mean?"

He could tell she was annoyed, but he could deal with that if she was safe. "What if the guy behind everything is using him? Or what if…"

Though his voice trailed off, unable to continue, Betty gasped realizing what he was saying. Her face scrunched before she thrust her palms into his chest. "Benny's my brother! He would never-never! He's hurting just as much as me, but he's been alone this whole time!"

"Betty-"

"No," she said shaking her. "Don't. Don't talk to me ever again." Tears trickled from the corners of her eyes as she spun on her heels and stormed away.

"Betty," he groaned. He spun around and nearly punched the wall before remembering he could punch through it and stopping himself centimeters from impact. Instead he pressed his palm to it and grit his teeth. "Damn it!"

"Guess Brant finally saw what an idiot you are, huh, Penis? Maybe I should go console her."

Peter pulled his hand from the wall and turned to glare at the smug Flash. "You know I told Spider-Man about you."

Flash's brow rose with excitement. "You did?"

"Yeah. And he just laughed at what a worthless waste of space you are," Peter said with a dismissive laugh as people around them snickered. "I mean do you even realize how stupid you seem? Penis? That's your insult? Are you three, or just obsessed with my dick? Maybe you meant you were gonna ask Betty for advice."

People around them broke out into laughter and Flash flushed as he looked around before turning to glare at Peter. He didn't need his senses to know Flash was going to punch him, but he made sure to tuck his hands in his pockets as he easily dodged it. People gasped watching him taking swaying steps around the flailing Flash.

"Stand still, Pussy Parker!"

Peter finally did, watching Flash throw his fist back and swing at him with a yell that turned to a pained scream when Peter sidestepped it, letting Flash's fist crash into the locker behind him. As Flash clutched his hand, Peter walked down the hall telling him, "Next time pick on someone at your level, Flash. There's a pre-k a few blocks down."

He was barely paying attention to math, his attention locked on Betty who was now completely ignoring him. She hadn't so much as glanced at him even as he walked past her desk.

That ended when the door opened and one of the principal's assistants whispered something to the teacher who then pointed to Peter. "Parker. Principal's office."

The room broke into hushed whispers as Peter scoffed and pulled his bag off the floor, making his way out of the room. Betty frowned watching him leave, his brow sunken as he strode past the assistant. It was only once the doors closed that she turned to ask her friend what that was about.

He wasn't surprised to find Flash in the office with his parents, telling anyone who could hear that Peter had attacked him.

Thankfully May wasn't falling for it, sitting in her chair and rolling her eyes before she spotted Peter and sat up. The principal frowned at him as he sat beside his aunt, who reached over to rub his shoulder with a look of confusion.

"Mr. Parker. Flash here tells me you attacked him this afternoon. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"That he's lying," Peter said keeping his eyes on the principal. "Ask anyone in the hall and they'll tell you I never laid a finger on him. It would've been impossible since I had my hands in my pockets the entire time. All I did was avoid his punches until he hurt himself by punching a locker so I could escape and get to class. Ask anyone."

"He's lying!" Flash exclaimed.

"Mr. Thompson, calm down," the principal said turning to the assistant who escorted Peter. "Could you ask around?"

While the women left Flash sank into his chair. The principal turned his attention back to them and sighed. "Either way, I have to remind you both we have a zero tolerance policy for fighting."

"But I didn't fight!" Peter snapped. "He is the idiot who hurt himself while attacking me!"

"That may be, but until I know the facts of the matter I'm suspending you both."

"What?" Peter scoffed. "Maybe I should've just broke his nose like he deserved."

"See!" Flash perked up, pointing at Peter. "See how violent he is!"

"Yeah, so violent he didn't even defend himself," May said rolling her eyes.

"I don't need this," Peter said getting to his feet.

"Excuse me, Mr. Parker, where do you think you're going?" the principal asked as Peter left.

His quick walk became a jog which carried him through the hall before he burst through the doors and picked up the pace once he was outside, leaping over the fence without breaking pace. May would tell him later that after he left she scoffed and got to her feet telling the principal, "If you're gonna punish him when he didn't even defend himself then I'll make sure next time someone bullies him he'll know to kick them in the balls until they vomit, and then just keep doing it until they pull him off. At least that way the world might be better off."

As she stormed out of the office she could hear Flash's mother gasp and exclaim, "How dare she!"

Peter was sprinting away from the school when his phone rang and he saw May was calling him, but he ignored it and made for an ally. In a few leaps and bounds he was on the roof, where he hid his backpack and stripped off his clothes before pulling on his mask.

He needed to swing and cool down. By the time schools were letting out Peter had swung through Brooklyn and back into Queens. While he was still fuming, he had focused it all and come up with a plan. When Midtown Science and Technology let out Peter watched from a building two blocks away. His chest ached seeing Betty come out of the building with her friends, talking to them like nothing happened.

"Peter," Karen's voice suddenly rang in his ears, "May is calling again."

"Ignore it," he said standing up and leaping to another building, following Betty. He didn't want to have to explain to her that Betty dumped him and he had to stop himself from putting Flash's head through the wall. "Ignore all calls. We're on a mission."

"Of course. Initiating mission protocols."

Peter blinked, wondering what those were but shrugging it off as nothing seemed different. He turned his attention back to Betty, who he noticed was on the phone, though she quickly hung up and picked up her pace to catch a bus.

With a few jumps he was on the edge of a building and leapt off to swing after the bus, keeping his distance and stopping on roofs to make sure he wasn't seen too close. It was their normal route and he found himself wondering if he was sitting in their seats, the ones they sat in whenever they went home together.

He followed her back to her uncle's house, hanging out on the roofs a few blocks away until he heard her uncle's door close and spotted her leaving. He could see she looked anxious as she made her way to the bus, which he followed downtown until she disembarked and made her way to a dingy part of town.

"Please, Betty," he whispered as he hopped from roof to roof after her, "go back home."

She made her way to an abandoned building which she looked over before taking out her phone and making a call. It lasted barely a second before she hung up and moments later people came out of the building.

"No, no, no," he said leaping to the building opposite the abandoned one, closing the distance between them and giving him a clear view.

Below Betty let out a sigh and hugged her brother, a sandy haired young man in surprisingly expensive clothes. Behind him were eight others in similar outfits, though most didn't look quite as gaunt as Bennett.

"Where the hell have you been, Benny?" Betty asked him once they separated. "I've been worried about you."

"I needed to take care of some things," Bennett said carefully. "I got us our own place, this way you don't have to live with Bill."

"What? You got us an apartment?" Betty looked to the people stood around the porch steps a few feet away from them. "Who are those people?"

"Friends," he assured. "I got us somewhere away from here. Someplace safe, okay?"

"Away from here?" Betty shook her head. "Benny, I can't. I-I have friends here. People I care about."

Benny squeezed her shoulder and smiled asking, "More than your brother?"

"That's not…" Betty shook her head. "I have school. I have a life here, Benny. I can't just leave him-it," she went wide eyed correcting herself, "it."

Benny frowned, narrowing his eyes. "You have a boyfriend now?"

"No," she said instinctively, fear clear in her voice as she seemed to shrink. "Okay, yes. I do." With glassy eyes she looked to brother pleading, "Please. I don't want to leave him."

"We have to, Betty," he said holding her shoulder. "There are dangerous people after us. If they know where we are they'll hurt us. They'll hurt your boyfriend. If you want him safe then you have to come with me, okay? We'll go to Mexico where they can never get to us and we can start whole new lives."

"Mexico?" Betty shook her head as the pieces started to click into place and she gasped. "You did it, didn't you?"

"What?" Benny asked nervously. "What are you talking about?"

"Mom and Dad… it was you," Betty said in a hollow voice. "You murdered them and now you want to run to Mexico to get away."

"I didn't murder them," Benny snapped, making Betty wince as he squeezed her shoulder until she pulled it free of his grasp. "I-It was an accident. I swear, Betty, I didn't mean to hurt them."

"He was right," Betty said as she took a step back, her eyes flooding with tears. "He was right and I…You… What did… Why? Why did you kill them? WHY DID YOU KILL THEM?!"

Her scream seemed to echo for blocks, making the group on the stairs stand up while Bennett glanced back at them nervously before striding toward Betty. "It doesn't matter now. We have to go, Betty."

"No," she scoffed, taking a step back for each one he took forward. "I'm not leaving with you."

That turned Bennett's pleading, fearful expression to a sneer. "You're coming with-"

Betty gasped as Spider-Man landed between her and her brother saying only a single word of warning. "Leave."

"It's Spider-Man!" The men behind Bennett exclaimed, and Peter felt the hairs across his body stand on end as they all reached for their guns.

"We're going," Peter said turning and grabbing Betty while firing a web that pulled them around a corner a split second before bullets flew through the space they occupied.

Betty screamed as Peter landed on the street and kept his momentum to jog down the block, which was about as fast as most people ran.

"You have to hold on tight, okay?" he said as they came to the corner and he heard the thugs nearing the one they swung around.

"Promise," she said wrapping her arms around him as tight as she could.

Peter leapt up and fired a web which let him swing around the corner building, wrapping around so they landed on the roof. Of course he hadn't quite accounted for Betty's panicked yell, making his attempt to hide almost pointless, but not entirely.

"Stay here," he told her once they were on the roof. "You'll be safe. I'll come back in a minute, I promise. I won't leave you alone."

"Okay, if-" Betty's eyes widened as she whispered, "Peter?" He felt his breath catch in his throat as she looked him over and stared into his lenses. "Peter."

"I'm sorry," he said taking two steps back before spinning around and leaping off the roof.

"No!" she ran after him but stopped when he leapt off the ledge, watching from above as he landed on one of the thugs and shot a web at the feet of another, yanking it to send them toppling over.

She gasped and clutched her chest seeing two of them shoot at him, but Peter spun through the air kicking the gun from one's hand while firing a web into the other and pulling him into an uppercut. It was then he turned his attention on Bennett, who bellowed and charged Peter.

Betty winced watching Peter dash forward and slam his fist into Bennett's stomach, lifting him off the ground and throwing him to the sidewalk where he fired a dozen web shots which pinned him to the ground.

However it distracted him from the others, who rushed him at once. He was incredibly quick and agile but it was hard to dodge bullets from six directions and fight off eight men at once. One bullet scraped his arm while the other grazed his side, making him yelp before turning and punching the shooter in the face. When the shooter fell back he let out a mumbled scream and spat up half his teeth.

Betty watched in tears as Peter flipped around dodging their blows, pinning one only to have another four attack him, one of them landing a blow which made him stumble. He back flipped over someone to avoid their attack from behind but barely had time to dodge the bullet another fired, firing a web to pull them toward a lamp post which he ran up and flipped back over them all, firing a dozen web shots to bind them as best he could.

The moment he landed, two who he missed slammed into him, throwing Peter against a car which wailed as the gangsters started pummeling him. He deftly dodged most of their strikes, but every so often one would land, which would make him react enough to let another hit, and then another and another until he let out a grunt and slammed his palms into them, throwing them away. His relief lasted barely a second as three more took their place.

"No, Peter," Betty whispered as she watched them smash bottles over him, using the jagged remains to try and slash at him until he kicked them away.

The moment they were knocked away Peter flipped back onto the hood of the car barely avoiding the bullet that shattered the window. A second bullet cut through the air only to ricochet off the suit of armor hovering in front of Peter as Iron Man dropped from the sky.

"Stand down," Iron Man ordered, aiming his repulsors at the thugs. Most of them quickly threw their guns down and put their hands up while Tony glanced over his shoulder. "You okay, kid?"

"Never better," Peter said falling down to sit on the roof of the car, clearly exhausted.

"You mind wrapping them up?"

"Sure, sure," Peter said hopping off the far and firing of web after web, wrapping and binding the group that had been attacking him moments earlier.

Betty sank to her knees and let out a breath of relief when Iron Man appeared. She could see her brother laying on the floor below, having woken from Peter's blow and struggling against the web to no avail.

Tony glanced up at her before he landed and told Peter, "I can handle these guys. You got the girl?"

Peter looked up to where Betty was kneeling on the roof watching them. "I don't know anymore," he said sullenly. "But I'll get her home."

"Call May when you're done," Tony said sternly as Peter fired a web at the roof.

Betty quickly got to her feet as Peter landed on the edge of the roof and walked toward her. "You okay?"

"Is that really you?" she asked looking him over.

Peter looked around to make sure no one could see before he reached up and pulled off his mask. Betty gasped not only at seeing it was him but the small cuts and red marks around his face.

"Are you okay?" he asked again, hesitating to move closer to her. The sight of his doubt made her rush forward and wrap her arms around him. Though relieved, he told her quietly, "We have get out of here. Do you think you handle it?"

"Yes," she said with a nod.

Peter reached up and pulled his mask back on before her slid his arms around her. "Hold on tight and don't let go," he warned as he made his way to the roof.

"Never," she promised, squeezing him tight and burying her head into his neck as he leapt off the roof and fired a web to catch them, letting him swing down the block before he fired another, shifting her slightly as he switched arms.

They swung for maybe five minutes before Peter released the web and glided through the air to land in a park. After a quick look around he released his grip on her, "We're safe."

Betty peeled herself from him and did her own scan before turning to him and smacking his chest. "What the-How-what-AAAAHHHH!" Her frustrated yell was punctuated by another smack of his chest. "I called you! I've been worried sick because you-You dick!"

"Betty, please, calm down," he said holding up his hands, "one thing at a time."

"How?" She asked waving her hand toward him. "How is this even possible?"

"There was an… incident. It changed me, so I… became Spider-Man."

Betty felt the fire in her cool as she asked, "Does this have to do with your uncle's death?"

Peter sighed, pulling off his mask so he could meet her eyes and let her see he was telling the truth. "That happened after I was bit."

"Bit?"

"It's a long story. Let's just say a spider bit me and gave me powers."

"Since before your uncle," she said, earning a nod from him. "How did you… Why were you here?"

Peter sheepishly admitted, "I've been following you all day."

That caused her anger to flare up, making her push his shoulder as tears once again filled her eyes. "And I've been calling you all day, you dick! As soon as I got out of school I tried to call you but you kept ignoring me."

Peter winced. "That might be because my suit is in mission mode and I told it block all calls."

"Why would you block my calls?"

"I thought you-you ignored me all day! I thought you…" He sighed, his shoulders slumping as he said, "I thought you hated me and broke up with me."

"I…" Betty frowned and sniffed. "For like three periods maybe, but after I heard about you and Flash I… I knew I messed up and overreacted. And what the hell, did you really leave school in the middle of meeting with the principal?"

"It was either that or punch Flash," he said with a shrug.

"And you've been following me since I got home?"

"Basically."

Betty nodded, lowering her gaze thoughtfully before he saw her face scrunch. She looked to him and sobbed. "He just admitted it like it was nothing. Like he isn't a murderer."

"Betty," he whispered, taking a step forward but stopping himself.

Seeing him hesitate, Betty sobbed harder, rushing forward to slide her arms around him. "Please."

"It's okay," he whispered, wrapping his arms around her as she sobbed into his collar. "It's okay, Betty. You're not alone. I'm right here. I always will be."

After a minute he felt her calm down and peel herself from him, wiping her eyes and smiling as she said, "You saved me. You fought all those guys and stopped my brother to save me."

Peter brushed his fingers through her hair and smiled. "I won't let anyone hurt you."

Looking at him close up, Betty felt her stomach turn as she saw all the marks and thought back on all the hits he took. Her hand found his cheek as tears trickled down her cheeks. "I love you."

Peter let out a sigh of a relief before she pressed her lips to his, her hands holding his cheek and shoulder, keeping him as close as she could. He could feel the desperation in her kiss, which he returned, lifting her slightly so she giggled. They kept at it for a few minutes until he heard someone approaching and quickly pulled away and tugged his mask on telling her, "Hang on."

She clung to him as he leapt up and fired a web, pulling them to a roof he instantly kicked off, swinging away from the park.

They eventually made their way back to the roof where he stored his bag and clothes. She asked him questions about the suit, about the Stark Internship, about the Avengers and even Liz's dad while he changed and brought her down to the ally before getting on a bus. The only thing that stopped her interrogation was a call from her uncle who got a call from the cops saying they arrested her brother, who said Spider-Man kidnapped her. She laughed it off and explained how Spider-Man saved her, saying that they saw Peter below and she had Spider-Man leave her with him.

When she hung up and tucked her phone away she frowned and ran her hand through Peter's hair. "It's a shame you won't get the credit."

"That's not why I do it," he said with a shrug.

"I know," she said leaning in to kiss him. "That's why I love you."

When they arrived outside her house they found a cop car waiting and spent an hour answering questions about everything before they told Betty to come to the precinct the next day to fill out a report. When they left and her uncle went inside, telling them they had five minutes, Peter told Betty, "I'll come with you tomorrow."

"You don't have to. I'm sure you'll be busy," she said with a smirk.

"You're more important right now," he assured.

"What about you?" she asked stroking his cheek. "Are you gonna be okay?"

"May's gonna be pissed and I'm sure Mr. Stark will have something to say about it all, but it was worth it."

Betty snickered. "You know just what to say, don't you?"

"It's the truth."

It was, and Peter was right, May was pissed. He had a couple dozen missed calls and text messages. He would learn later that Mission Protocols included sending a tracker to Tony and activating a live baby cam feed, so he had been tracking Peter most of the day, letting May know he was okay. Before that she had left him a few messages, mostly concerned after seeing him storm off like that. Thankfully she was ever understanding, and only grounded him for the duration of his suspension, but let him go to the station with Betty to file her report about what happened with her brother. It turned Iron Man had given them video from a drone which not only showed her brother's admission but the others firing live rounds in public.

Their first time together was on the last day he was grounded. May had to work late, so Betty came over to keep him company. They ate dinner together, watching half a show until they finished eating and then barely paid attention to it before making their way to his room. Peter wasn't sure he was ever more nervous than he was that first time with her, but they quickly got the hang of things and it was all fun. They even took a quick shower together afterward before he broke his grounding to walk her home, spending ten minutes on her corner kissing and another four in front of her house before making his way home.

Ned was relieved to have someone else their age who knew Peter's secret, putting less pressure on him. May was also shocked when she learned that Betty knew, but her doubts were easily quelled as she liked Betty beforehand. Peter disliked that once May found out she started making more and more jokes about him having to marry Betty now that she knew his secret.

When time came for her to attend her brother's trial Peter went with her and held her hand throughout and then let her cry against his shoulder when they came back with a guilty verdict. It felt like they had been through everything together. Betty knew almost everything about him and he knew as much about her and both found solace and joy in the other.

There were times she grew frustrated with him running off, but she was always understanding in the end and he did what he could to make as much time for her as he could. She hated the days he showed up covered in bruises after rough nights, their biggest fight coming the day he showed up with his arm in a sling and bandages under his shirt. She wouldn't talk to him for four periods, but by lunch was forcing him to sit while she got his lunch and helped him.

He was relieved she never asked him to stop being Spider-Man. The days after she found out they had a lot of long talks about it and she came to understand how important it was to him. She never demanded it, but she would occasionally ask if he thought he would stop or what it would take.

The day after he made the news for getting people out of a burning building she had come over and spent hours clinging to him as they binged a show. Eventually she asked, "What about when we get married? What about when we have kids?"

He didn't know the answer to her questions, but it was a nice to know he wasn't the only one saying when they got married rather than if.

As they passed nine months together Peter was certain he was going to marry Elizabeth Brant and spend the rest of his life happy with her. His days were worse when he didn't see her, her smile enough to ease his frustration and her kiss all he needed to reinvigorate himself whenever he came to school after spending all night on patrol. It felt like she was the key to the life he wanted.

And then Thanos came to Earth.

* * *

**AN:**

I think the idea of the five year gap opens a lot of interesting stories and doubt the MCU will make much use of it in this way so decided to go with it for this version, hence Peter being the only one of his friend who got snapped. I went with Betty cause she's traditionally Peter's first love and I think is more interesting for a series to start from and build on than have him start with the girl he's gonna end up with. I still wish Michele was Betty instead. That blunt kind of character as JJ's secretary would be fun and tie Peter to the bugle even if they don't make him a photographer for them which wouldn't make much sense in this universe.

Next chapter Peter talks with Pepper about his future then has drinks with friends old and new.

Also, I was asked about ships but I don't really have much set in stone and haven't put any so far because I'm thinking about splitting the story up to make a series, and none would really play a part here as far as I know. Relationship wise I'll probably stick close to canon where I can, so there will be background bits of Hope/Scott or hints of stuff like Strange/Christine Palmer.

For Peter it's a bit more complex because I know it won't be Michelle. The movies are doing that and I grew up with Mary Jane so dislike that it's not her since I actually liked Mary Jane. Originally the story was thought up as Peter/Wanda, but as I thought about it more I wasn't sure about it so figured I'd leave it for a side story or what if and focus on other stuff I want to do with Peter.

The only ones I'm sure I want to include are MCU Gwen and Felicia, but that doesn't mean there won't be others. A whole thing with Peter is he has multiple love interests. I even considered doing a poly thing like I did with Jon/Dany/Sansa in my GOT fic, going into Wanda's sexuality being more open since she was with an android.

This all might change, but for now I'm assuming I'm gonna end this story around the time Peter graduates Midtown or Start's College, and the sequel will be where the romances play a bigger part. For now I'm just gonna go with whatever feels right, but if anyone has any suggestions or opinions feel free to share them.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

It was just past four when Peter's last class ended on his new schedule and he nearly sprinted out of the building. He skipped the bus, cutting through alleys for six blocks before leaping onto a fire escape and bouncing onto the roof where he pulled off his clothes while his armor formed around him. Once his clothes were packed he put his backpack on and launched himself off the roof.

Spider-Man swing across the East River and into Manhattan, making his way to Stark Tower. He made it within twenty blocks before he dipped into an alley, staying low and out of sight for a few blocks before he landed and changed back into his clothes to walk the rest of the way.

Entering the lobby, Peter hurried through the scanner with a scan of the ID hanging from a lanyard on his neck and slipped onto an elevator as the doors closed. "Sorry, sorry," he said to those inside before tapping the top floor, which caused some of the others to mumble and look at him in confusion.

Pepper's assistant got to her feet and smiled as Peter came out of the elevator. "Mr. Parker, Miss Stark is inside."

Peter entered Pepper's office and was greeted with a squeal, turning to catch Morgan as she leapt off Pepper's couch. "Hey, Momo." Holding her, he walked over to Pepper's desk where she looked up from her monitor to smile at them. "Hi, Miss Potts."

"I told you Pepper is fine, Peter."

"Of course," he said with a smirk, "sorry, Miss Pepper."

Mother and daughter chuckled. "If you have a minute I was hoping we could talk."

When Pepper motioned to the chairs opposite her Morgan gasped. "Uh oh. Is Peter in trouble?"

"No," Pepper assured her daughter, "just give us a minute then you two can head home."

Morgan nodded and Peter let her down so she could return to her tablet on the couch while he took one of the seats. "You need help with something?"

"I just wanted to see how you're doing. Your aunt told me you have a new schedule at school to try and graduate early."

"It's a few more classes each day but if it means me getting out of there sooner I can put up with it."

Pepper asked with a frown, "Are you having a hard time at school?"

Peter shook his head answering somberly, "Midtown has too many ghosts."

"Your school has ghosts?!" Morgan asked with a gasp.

Looking over his shoulder, Peter smirked. "Only imaginary ones."

"Have you thought about what you'll do when you graduate? Where you'll go?" Pepper asked tapping her pen on her desk.

"Some," Peter said turning back to her. "I haven't looked into anything yet just in case. I figured I'd worry about that when I was a bit closer. I know Mr. Stark wanted me at MIT, and I know he'd probably kill me if I went to NYU, but… New York is my home."

"Well then you're in luck," she said smiling, much to his confusion. "The decimation screwed up a lot of things. NYU ended up being converted to Empire State University, which took in a lot of tenured MIT professors."

Peter blinked. "Really?"

"Their infrastructures took big hits. A ton of colleges shut down or consolidated with others, either bolstering older ones or making new ones like ESU." Pepper shrugged. "People saw it as a way to start anew."

"Well, it sounds great. How's their science departments?"

Pepper smirked telling him, "The best in the country, if not the world. We have a fairly solid relationship with them. It shouldn't be hard to get you admitted whenever you're ready."

"Thank you."

"Of course. Any ideas about majors or classes you might take?"

"Nothing solid yet. Engineering obviously. Maybe chemical engineering, or physics or biology, or biochemistry." With a grin he said, "Maybe web design."

"God you really are as bad as Tony," Pepper said with a groan, though he took that as a compliment.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Peter stood outside a small sidewalk cafe with his hands tucked in his pockets to contain the anxiety drowning him. He knew this was going to suck, but he also knew he had to do it.

Eventually the anxiety got the better of him so Peter took out his phone and sent a text. When he got the reply he went in and placed an order before heading out. It wasn't long before the waitress came out to the table he was standing beside and set three cups down.

Barely a minute later Peter smiled at the sight of Betty Brant walking down the street. She's had a bit of a growth spurt and cut her once long blonde hair into a short bob with bangs. Peter's stomach twisted inside out when his eyes drifted to her hand, her fingers interlaced with those of Ned as they crossed the street. His friend hadn't changed too much, having shaved his head and slimmed a bit while growing a few inches to make his weight a bit more imposing.

Once they were close enough that they didn't need enhanced senses to spot him, the pair waved to Peter. He wanted to vomit but put on a smile and returned the wave. Their greetings were unsurprisingly awkward, but Peter had prepared for it so didn't hesitate to push through and hug Ned then gave Betty a quicker hug before moving to his chair.

"I already paid," he told them motioning to the drinks.

Once they took their seats and sipped their drinks Betty took a breath and turned to Peter, taking a second to look him over. It was like seeing a ghost. He was as he remembered her but something was clearly different about him.

"Were you really at the Battle of Earth?" Ned asked setting his drink down.

Hearing him use the name the news did, Peter scoffed and shook his head. "It didn't feel like Earth."

"I can't imagine," Betty said with a nod.

"It is what it is," Peter said with a shrug before setting his cup down and looking them over. "I'm more interested in you two. You guys had a whole life without me. You gotta tell me about it."

Ned and Betty exchanged a somber glance before Betty began. "It was hard. Half the world disappeared and everything changed."

Peter nodded. "When did you guys…?"

Ned frowned. "Senior year."

"I was alone," Betty whispered solemnly. "I didn't have anyone else to really mourn you who knew the real you."

"We couldn't really talk to May," Ned said nodding. "It was just us and eventually…"

Peter pushed the corners of his mouth up. "Well, at least I know you have good taste, Betty."

Her frown eased as she chuckled. "Thank you."

Ned smirked wanly. "She was worried about dating again but it turned out we got along and one day she asked me out and we've been together since."

"I'm glad you're both happy." Peter was surprised to feel some sincerity in his words. Under all the anger and jealousy he was glad they at least had each other. Two people he'd loved now loved each other, so it wasn't all bad. "You guys ended up at the same college?"

Betty nodded. "We both intern at the Bugle too. Jameson even promised to make me his secretary when I graduate."

"Any chance for a scoop about the fight upstate?" Ned asked with a laugh. "Might guarantee me a job with her too."

Peter gave a hollow laugh, saying, "Only off the record."

They spoke in whispers, listening to him talk about how he boarded the ship and went to Titan, then came back years later to go to war. It still hard to match the enthusiasm Ned had asking about having all the heroes in one place. To Peter it had been hellish and ended even worse.

They ended up spending more time talking about the five years Peter missed, resulting in him having a list of recommendations for things to watch, listen to, look into, play and read. He learned where most of their friends ended up and the few who died during the decimation years.

They'd finished their drinks and were telling him about New Asgard when they heard the wail of sirens. In the moment both Betty and Ned glanced toward them Peter got to his feet, telling them with a smirk. "Duty calls."

Ned got to his feet, giving Peter a quick hug. "If you ever need a guy in the chair give me a call."

"Alright," Peter said with a nod before turning to Betty.

Their eyes meet, each failing to hide their somberness before they hugged. It was more delicate than the quick one he had with Ned, full of the emotion of everything they couldn't or wouldn't say. A silent farewell to whatever had been between them.

When they separated Betty wore a frail smile. "Be careful."

"I'm sure you'll hear how it goes," he said with a shrug while backing away from the table. "See you around."

Once he was far enough Peter spun and hurried to the corner, which he turned before picking up his pace. He crossed the street and dipped into an ally, leaping from wall to wall between buildings until he hopped onto the roof and pulled off his clothes while his Iron Spider Armor formed around him.

The roof cracked underfoot as he leapt off, launching himself across the street where he landed on the opposite roof and sprinted before firing a web and swinging down the street.

"Where is it, Karen?" Peter asked looking at the map she brought up. "What's happening?"

"A group of thieves are exchanging fire with NYPD officers and caused an explosion in the neighboring building," she said as she placed a marker on the map to guide him. "FDNY has been called to deal with the fire."

"Got it. Should be easy."

Peter was focused on swinging when Karen suddenly asked, "Are you okay, Peter?"

"What?" He asked bouncing off a lamp post and firing another web.

"You're crying," Karen whispered as he sniffed.

"Just focus," he told her, grunting when he landed on a roof and launched himself again.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

A group of robbers were locked down in a corner store firing at the cops through the window, ignoring the burning building beside them until the window shattered and Spider-Man shot into the store like a torpedo. The moment he hit the floor four golden spider-legs manifested from his back and he launched himself at one of the robbers, firing webs to disarm two others.

"Hold your fire!" The Asian officer called out, waving her hand so the others would take cover behind their cruisers.

"Captain, was that-"

"Spider-Man," Yuriko Watanabe said with a grin.

They heard shouts, yells and bursts of gunfire for almost a minute before a web shot through the broken window and Spider-Man launched himself out of the store. The moment he hit the lamp post he back flipped to the store's roof and launched himself into the burning building's upper floor, crashing through a warped window. Half a minute later another window shattered and Spider-Man landed on the street, setting down a man holding a coughing infant.

Officers rushed over but before the father could thank him, Spider-Man sprinted back into the burning building. He leapt up the staircase, flipping over a fallen beam before charging through a door. Inside the apartment he saw half the wall had collapsed, blocking the bathroom door. A few well placed webs and a single tug pulled the rubble away, letting him force the door open to find a girl sat in a tub full of sudsy water clutching the nervous dog she'd been washing when the explosion happened.

Just as he helped her out of the tub and guided her into the living room all the flames were blown out like the fire on a candle. Peter looked around in confusion as the girl gasped, hugging her dog as she said in awe, "You're so cool."

"Uh, yeah. Let's get out of here before-"

Peter suddenly fell but instead of landing in the apartment below he hit the hardwood floor of a large foyer. Glancing up he saw the amber outline of a portal snap shut.

Sitting up he saw Doctor Strange lowering his hand while walking down a large staircase. "Doc?"

Strange smirked watching him stand. "I thought you'd land on your feet."

"I'm a spider, not a cat," he said rolling his eyes as his mask retracted. "Though I might have if I had any warning. Was that you back there with the fire?"

"I'd rather not have it spread to here," said Strange. The fire had been only a few blocks from the Sanctum.

"You're near the fire?" Peter looked around the building and nodded. "I'll keep that in mind. Still, why bring me here?"

"You were in the neighborhood," Strange said with a shrug, "I thought I'd invite you for lunch."

"Yeah?" Peter was surprised by the offer. "I could eat."

Thankfully Strange had some spare clothes he magicked into Peter's size before he opened a portal and Peter stepped through it to the middle of Rome. "Uh, when you said Italian I figured you meant pizza or subs from Rizzoni's."

"I thought I'd treat you," Strange said with a shrug. "You did well with the fire and those bafoons with the guns."

"Thanks," Peter said once again surprised by the compliment.

He found it amusing he ended up at another outside table ordering drinks, though this time he decided to go with coffee instead of his usual hot chocolate. Who knew if he'd ever get the chance to drink at an actual Italian cafe again?

"How have you been?" Strange asked sipping his drink.

Peter shrugged. "You know how it is. Well maybe not, I think I would've heard if you went out on patrol too."

Strange snickered. "No. My attention lies elsewhere. Besides, the city has plenty protection with you, the Daredevil, and all those others."

Peter perked up. "You know the Daredevil?"

"I've looked into him to make sure he's not a threat."

"Cool, cool. What's he like?" When Strange ignored him Peter scoffed, "Is this some kind of doctor patient confidentiality thing?"

"Would you want me to disclose your information?" Peter's answer was to groan, annoyed that he was right. "I didn't just mean your work in the suit, Parker. I know Stark was important to you."

Peter shrugged, his jaw shifting as he looked at his coffee. "I wish I could've done it instead of him."

Strange nodded. "It's not how it worked out."

Peter spun his cup on the table before asking him, "Could it have?"

Strange frowned, examining the boy before him. "Of all the possibilities I saw few ever made it as far as the battle, and those that did failed apart from the one."

"Did anyone else ever…"

"No, because it was always a last resort," Strange said before he could finish. "None who held it would use the gauntlet without reason. They held off until either Thanos' army overwhelmed us or Thanos snapped again."

"Why didn't I ever just do it myself?" Peter sighed. "Maybe I could've survived like Doctor Banner."

"You didn't know," Strange explained. "Even if you noticed his arm it had been five years, how could you know it was from the snap? All I told you before I opened the portals was that they'd brought us back. You're smart enough to know the power released when using the gauntlet would kill most people. Why would you risk your life to use it without a reason? Would you really risk their plan just to sacrifice yourself? Did you not trust them to win?"

Peter frowned and shook his head. He trusted the Avengers enough to do whatever they asked. He never would've put their plan at risk like that, not unless he knew what could have happened.

Deciding he wanted a change of topic, Peter looked around before asking, "So were you born magic or did you to learn it? Did you go to a school for it? Is Hogwarts real?"

It felt like everything with Betty and Ned barely existed until they returned and Strange told him to come again. If there was one good thing about his life as Spider-Man it was easy to distract himself, making it easy to push his problems aside and focus on more important things.

After picking up his clothes Peter headed back home and spent the day at his desk with movies playing on the TV while he studied on his computer. That was how he spent most of his out of suit time apart from school.

When May came home she looked into his room and found him leaning back in his chair with one hand on his keyboard, tapping the keys to scroll through a paper. He paused to look back at her with a smile. "Welcome home."

"Hey, kiddo," she said walking up behind his chair and rubbing his shoulders. "Whatcha watching?"

"New Blade Runner. It's pretty good, so I'm looked up a few papers on synthetics."

May chuckled, stepping aside so he could see his face when she asked, "How'd it go with Betty and Ned?"

"We got into a big fight so I punched Ned into orbit," Peter said spinning his chair around to face her with a smirk. She rolled her eyes as he told her, "It was fine. What do you want me to say?"

"Whatever you're feeling," said May. "I know how much you loved her. I can only imagine how you feel."

"I'm happy they're together," he said with a shrug. "That's all that matters."

"Not to me."

Peter had been preparing himself for this, so managed to make his shrug nonchalant. "It sucks but it's whatever, you know? I mean it's not like I was gonna end up with Betty. No one stays with their high school girlfriend. Besides, it's better this way. I can focus on more important things."

May frowned as he ran through all his excuses, uncertain if she imagined the hint of desperation to get through them all. "That's bullshit, Peter."

"Would you rather I scream and yell and cry and ask why this happened even though I already know and understand why?" Peter scoffed and shook his head. "Of course she moved on. She's was a great girl, she deserved to be happy and so did Ned. I can't just ruin their lives."

May couldn't help but frown, reaching out to wrap her arms around him, letting him lean his head against her stomach as she soothingly rubbed his shoulders. "It'll get easier."

"No it won't," he said sourly, "but hopefully I'll get better at handling it."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Peter was sat on the edge of a building eating pizza and scrolling through a research paper when he sensed something behind him. Leaving one leg hanging off the edge he turned to see Falcon soaring through the sky and when he seemed to notice Peter he diverted his path toward the building. Peter saw his wings were new and unpainted, somewhat larger and more slender than his old ones. When he landed on the roof and they sank into his back they weren't contained to the jet pack on his back, instead it now had the tips of his wings extending from it.

"Hey, Bugeyes," Sam said with a smirk, pulling back goggles.

Peter threw up a hand while the other held a slice of pizza. "Birdbrain."

Sam snickered. "Shouldn't you be at gymboree?"

Peter rolled his eyes. "That's Tuesdays."

"What are you doing up here?" He asked glancing at the pizza box sitting on the edge of the building.

"Refueling," Peter answered, stuffing the last quarter of his pizza into his mouth as he got to his feet. "What about you?"

"Testing new gear to accommodate for the extra weight," Sam said pulling the circular shield from his back.

Peter's brow rose as he moved closer. "Wow. He gave you the shield. Congrats, man."

"Thanks. Steve's been trying to teach me his tricks but it turns out they're a bit tougher when you're not a super soldier," Sam said with a laugh.

"I always assumed there was some some kind of tech behind it," Peter said flicking the shield and hearing the vibranium ring briefly. "Some kind of guiding system linked to a neural sensor you wear, kind of like my armor." As an example he reformed and collapsed his mask without moving. "You should try something like that."

Sam arched his brow and nodded. "I'll look into it. Thanks. kid."

"Anytime," Peter said with a shrug.

"How's that thing not flying off the building?" he asked pointing to the pizza box.

With a glance over his shoulder Peter answered, "Webbed the bottom."

Sam snorted and motioned to the city. "You know we're in the city now. You should swing by sometime. I know cap was talking about bringing you to train with us."

"I could train with Captain America?" Peter asked with a laugh at how weird his life was.

"Well, probably not him," Sam said with a shrug, "not unless you want to get your ass kicked by a geriatric."

Peter chuckled and nodded. "My schedule is pretty packed most days, but I can come by on the weekend. Is Saturday cool?"

Sam lowered his goggled saying, "I'll let them know to hide the Raid."

"I'm a spider, man," Peter groused as Sam strode toward the edge of the building, "not a roach."

"Later, kid," Sam said while his wings shot out behind him.

"Later, Captain Falcon," he called out with a wave.

Sam cast a glance over his shoulder, smirking at Peter before he leapt off the building, his jets kicking in and carrying him through the air. While his pizza box stood firm, the bottle of soda beside it flew off the building. Peter quickly shot a web to catch it and pull it into his hand, sighing as he uncapped it and took a drink. "Some people."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Peter set the Iron Spider Armor pod into a dock which recharged and cleaned it while pulling on the first suit Stark made for him. He packed some spare clothes and exercise clothes he bought into a backpack which he slung over his shoulders while calling out, "I'm leaving, May!"

"Have fun!" Meter called out, coming to the doorway just as he hopped onto the ceiling to climb out of his window.

"I'm going to spend the morning getting beat up by the Avengers," Peter said pulling on his mask, "of course I'm going to have fun."

May chuckled watching him climb out the window, pulling the window closed behind him before she saw him swing away.

It was no secret the Avengers were back in New York, working out of an old SHIELD HQ, which is why Peter decided to go as Spider-Man. His choice was proven right when he saw a group of reporters and paparazzi waiting outside the facility. They all leapt in shock when he dropped out of the sky and landed on the sidewalk in front of the doors.

"Spider-Man!" half of them gasped.

"Hey, guys," he said giving them a wave. "I'd love to talk, but I don't want to be late."

They shouted a bunch of questions which he ignored while heading inside, the guard starting to ask for ID but then realizing he just saw Spider-Man drop out of the sky so waved him forward where Steve waited to greet him.

"I'm glad you came," Steve said clapping his shoulder.

"I'm not gonna turn down an invite to hang out with the Avengers," Peter said with a laugh. "My-" He paused realizing he didn't have friends who would kill him if they found out anymore, so said instead, "My old self would kill me if I did."

Steve snicked and led him to the receptionist who tapped a button and greeted them, "Mr. Rogers. Mr. Parker."

Peter's lens grew as his brow rose in surprise and he turned to Steve. "They know my name?"

"You're one of us now, Pete," Steve said leading him to an elevator. "Fury made sure you're in system so if anything comes up you can get help from any SHIELD agent."

"My names in some kind of system?" Peter hissed. "Systems get hacked. SHIELD gets hacked, remember? HYDRA?"

Tapping the button to call the elevator, Steve turned to Peter and frowned. "I remember. Things are different now though, Pete. When you and everyone else disappeared it was Natasha who got SHIELD back on track and made it so they support us now. It's part of the new Accords we negotiated for."

Peter wasn't sure how to feel about it, but trusted Captain America to know better than him and took some solace in thinking it another sign he was one of them.

When they exited the elevator Steve sent him to a locker room to change, so Peter switched out his suit for the training gear her bought. Entering the training room he found Steve off to the side speaking with Bruce while Wanda, Sam and Bucky were warming up and stretching off to the side.

"Hey, Pete," Bruce said holding out his hand for a fist bump Peter gave with a smirk. "Glad you're here. Ready to get you butt kicked?"

"Oh, you guys brought an army?" Peter asked looking around mockingly.

"Ayy!" Bruce exclaimed with a laugh. "Don't get cocky, kid. I still got one good arm."

He did, but when they sparred Peter was smart enough to stay away from it. The problem was Hulk was taller than most of the people and his limbs longer, so Peter had to focus and put a bit more effort into dodging than he did most days. That effort grew after he dodged a Hulk charge with a flip and was still in the air when Hulk spun around and punched him, knocking him clear of the mat.

Things went easier with Sam and Bucky. Both were trained men who punished every mistake he made, but those mistakes were the only times they were able to do anything. Then as he was dodging strikes from Bucky he sensed something behind him and flipped to the side, dodging Sam's punch and Bucky's kick. After that they were paired off against him and found more mistakes to punish.

Wanda was the most frustrating to fight. Unlike the others there was no limit to her range, at least within the room. She started off their matches throwing scarlet streaks of energy which evaporated without impact against the walls and floor, yet when they hit him packed a punch. When he did dodge she would just start causing bolts to shoot at him from different angles. One of their matches consisted of her flailing her arms while he dodged what felt like hundreds of scarlet bolts from every direction, bouncing off walls, doing cartwheels and flips to escape them. Common sense told him to move in and take her out, but she was also trained enough to fight without her powers and even while using them.

Watching from the sidelines, Steve saw things differently. He saw how everyone held their breath when Hulk punched Peter across the room. Even Bruce gasped and winced, clearly having used too much of Hulk's strength. Yet Peter hit the ground and turned his roll into a flip which put him on his feet and dashing back into the fight as if he hadn't just taken a hit which could've stopped a car.

Almost more impressive than his strength was his speed, especially his reactionary speed. Tony had mentioned he had enhanced senses, but this was clearly more than that. He reacted to things he couldn't see or hear. He wove a path around Bucky and Sam like it was all some game, though maybe his joking had influenced Steve's observation there. Peter started to throw in and even call out wrestling moves at one point.

He'd flipped behind Bucky and grabbed him around the waist, Bucky going wide eyed as Peter called out, "Suplex!" With little effort her dead lifted Bucky, arching back until Bucky's shoulders slammed into the mat and Peter released him to roll over him, dodging Sam's punches. The moment he was past Bucky and on his feet Peter had dashed forward and leapt up, his knee hitting Sam in the chest. Once he landed Peter threw his arms up and down with a grin. "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

It was as Steve watched Peter spar with Wanda that he saw just how skilled Peter was, dodging dozens of energy bolts before moving in to fight her. While not quite as skilled as Bucky it was clear that Peter was actually a bit above Wanda. It made him wonder if Tony had trained him, but then he realized the truth which left him frowning as he watched Peter shift his dodge into a block to catch Wanda's kick.

Peter's skill didn't come from training, it came from experience. While all of them trained to get where they were and had some experience in the field, Peter went out every day and learned by doing. Pepper told him May was sure Peter had gone out every day since their return for hours on end, sometimes only getting home just before he had to leave for school. It was almost a problem, but apparently he had been acing his tests so the teachers couldn't complain much when he slept through their classes and answered their questions correctly when they woke him.

They all also noticed that he stayed on the defensive with her apart from a rare take down or strike when he got behind her. The most blatant was when she caught his punch and he raised his right hand to counter but stopped it and slipped around her, putting her in a hammerlock with her arm behind her back telling her to tap.

"This isn't the WWE, kid," Sam said shaking his head.

Peter released the hold and flipped back saying, "I'm more a New Japan guy-"

He was cut off by the scarlet wall behind him he slammed into while Scarlet spun around, her fingers coated in light as she flung them aside and the wall launched Peter into the ground, stretching over him and holding him in place like a net. With a groan, Peter tapped the floor. "I give, I give."

"That's enough," Steve said with a laugh as the energy faded and Peter sat up with a groan.

"Maybe we should call her the Scarlet Swatter," Bucky said with a smirk.

"I'm not a fly. It's like you guys don't even know the different between bugs," Peter said shaking his head and getting to his feet. "That's pretty racist, even for a guy from the forties."

Wanda snicked while Sam and Bruce guffawed and Bucky scoffed. Steve clapped his shoulder and motioned to the lock room. "Why don't you shower and get cleaned up and we can get lunch."

"Let me know when we're eating," Bruce said making his way to the doors, "I have to check my lab."

Bucky and Sam showed Peter to the showers, which he was relieved to note were private enough the anxiety he felt faded. Wanda stayed back when she saw Steve motion to her, earning a look from Bucky until Steve motioned for him to leave them.

Wanda walked to Steve and crossed her arms. "What is it?"

"What do you make of him?" he asked her quietly.

"Peter?" She looked toward the doors before shrugging. "He'll do well as long as we don't fight any women."

Steve chuckled. "Well it's not like you didn't make him pay for it, but I don't think he was looking down on you."

Wanda smirked guiltily. "Maybe. Still."

Casting a glance over his shoulder Steve moved a bit closer whispering, "I want you to keep an eye on him."

"Me?"

"You're the youngest one here," Steve noted. "I think he'll feel more comfortable with you, and Pepper thinks he's having a hard time."

Wanda arched her brow. "Is he? He didn't seem it."

"He's good at hiding it," Steve said with a shrug. "His aunt told her he's out every night and barely sleeps outside of school. I think he's still torn up about everything."

Dubiously, Wanda asked, "You want me to be his therapist?"

When Peter finished he packed away his sweaty clothes in a bag within his backpack and put on his normal clothes over his suit, leaving his mask in his pocket. Exiting the locker rooms he found the hall empty apart from Wanda standing against the wall with her arms crossed.

"Hey," Peter said looking around with a nervous laugh before saying sympathetically, "I guess they left you on newbie duty?"

"Something like that," she said with a nod, motioning toward the elevator. "Steve's asked me to be your handler."

Peter nodded following her down the hall, Wanda barely noticing his brief frown before he put on a smile to say, "So they want you to babysit me?"

"To help you adjust," she said carefully. Tapping the call button she turned and saw his doubts. "They think since I'm the youngest you'll feel more at ease around me. I'm not you're hero like Steve or Bruce, Rhodey is busy dealing with the government and Sam and Bucky already have their own bond. Steve thinks we can help one another."

Surprised by her honesty, Peter asked, "Help each other how?"

"He thinks I'm closed off since… since Vis," she said with a sigh.

Peter nodded. "And they think I'm still a mess because of Mr. Stark."

"Steve said Pepper mentioned something about a girl, but wouldn't say," she told him. "Is that part of it as well?"

The doors opened and Peter frowned stepping onto the elevator. "I guess."

Wanda noted hoe much his mood darkened when she brought it up, so had no doubt it was. "What was her name?"

Peter crossed his arms, leaning against the rail in the elevator and taking a moment before deciding to just tell her. "Betty. Her name was Betty."

"Did she…" Wanda raised her brow imploringly.

"No! No," he quickly shook his head. "No, she's alive." She felt a swell of sorrow as he looked down frowning. "If she'd…" It sank back into him as he shook his head and looked to her with a somber smile. "No, she's just… She didn't get snapped. I told her I'd never leave her and I did, and she moved on and started dating my only other friend."

Wanda nodded, marveling at the mix of sadness, anger and somber joy she felt within him as he said, "I'm glad they had each other and they're happy, but it just… it sucks, you know? I loved her. I know it's stupid and I'm just a kid and no one ever marries their high school girlfriends but I-I thought maybe we could.

"She lived five years without me, which is like a quarter of her life now. To her I was just that kid she dated for a couple months and she's been with Ned for years. It's like I can't even get upset about that. Of course she'd move on, and I can't be a dick about it, especially when the guy she got with is my friend."

His emotions fluctuated wildly as he spoke, so she wasn't surprised when he concluded with an exhausted sigh. "Sorry," he said sheepishly.

"At least I know you'll open up to me," she said with a smirk.

Peter chuckled and shook his head. "It's not just her though. I lost Tony. I left my aunt alone barely two years after my uncle Ben died." He cut himself off, frowning as he looked to her. "I'm sorry about Vision." Her surprise grew as he said, "I only spoke with him a few times but I always liked it when I did. I-I wish I could've known him better. Nat too. It seems wrong the two spider-based Avengers only worked together he once."

Wanda chuckled at his joke, her smile lingering as she felt the sincerity in his sense of loss when he spoke of Nat and Vision. "He spoke highly of you a few times," she told him before adding with a teasing smirk, "I might have gotten jealous if I didn't know him better."

Peter snickered as the elevator doors opened and adjusted his bag before stepping off it with her. "Well, you didn't have anything to worry about on my part. I'm pretty open minded but I'm not, uh, romosexual."

Wanda blinked in confusion, taking a second before she laughed. "That's funny."

"I try," he said with a shrug as they joined the others in the cafeteria.

Sitting at the table, Peter found it easier to smile than he had since his return. How could he not when he was sat there sharing a meal and cracking jokes with the Avengers.

For the first time since he saw Tony Stark die he felt like he had a place in the world again.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

"Check it out, I think I made the Winter Soldier cry!" Peter said laughing at his phone's camera before turning it on Bucky as they sparred. Bucky growled and swung at him just as the video cut to a shot of them sat at a table eating. Hulk spotted him and quickly flexed his good arm, which prompted Peter to do the same with his free arm. Peter chuckled as he scrolled through more footage from the videos he'd taken on his weekend visits to the former SHIELD facility.

"I'm thinking about making an account to share some of it," Peter told Wanda as he shower her the video during his next visit.

She raised her gaze asking, "You want to let people know who you are?"

"Not that video," he quickly clarified. "Maybe some others I take while I'm in the suit. I thought maybe I could share some of the pictures I take while I'm on patrol, leave a comment on some of the selfies I stop for. Stuff like that."

Wanda smirked asking, "You take pictures?"

Peter took his phone back to bring up a gallery before handing it back to her, letting her scroll through the pictures. While there were many pictures of iconic locations around the city from different angles and a few selfies that made her chuckle, there were shots of normal scenes which took her interest. Pictures of a boy helping a woman carry her groceries, of a homeless man sat against a fence, trash overflowing from a can beside an expensive car.

"I've been thinking about asking Pepper to let me take some of my cash out and get a good camera. The Starkphone ones are okay, but real professional cameras are a bit better."

"They're good," she said handing the phone back. "I think it's clear you love the city."

"What about you?" he asked pocketing his phone. "I know you're from Sokovia, right? What do you think of the city?"

Wanda nodded. "I like it."

"She says with clear dislike," Peter muttered.

Wanda snickered, leaning back in her chair and shaking her head. "I like it, but it is shocking how much crime there is here."

"It's the capital of the world," Peter said with a shrug.

"So you like to think," she said with a teasing smile.

"Are you really trying to get into a nationalist pissing match with me?" Peter asked with a scoff before leaning forward and glaring at her, "Cause I'll win."

"Oh?"

Peter's lips stretched into a grin as he stood up in the middle of the cafeteria and threw his hands up to exclaim, "USA! USA!"

"USA!" someone joined in.

"USA! USA!" The more he said it the more people joined in. Peter was leading them like a conductor as Wanda shook with contained laughter. It finally escaped when Steve and the others entered and froze in confusion while everyone turned to him and let out a cheer.

"YEAH CAP!" Someone yelled, earning a few laughs as everyone settled back down.

"Did we miss something?" Steve asked taking a seat at their table.

"Just me proving America is the best," Peter said with a teasing smile to Wanda, who scoffed.

When they finished up, Peter pulled on his mask and packed his clothes away before asking if he could get pictures with everyone, telling them about his idea to start sharing them. It was almost surprising when Bruce of all people asked, "You sure about that?"

He had the most public recognition of all of them, which seemed obvious given his appearance, but he had embraced it and found joy in signing autographs and inspiring kids. It was what helped him come to terms with his arm.

"It's another reason for kids with disabilities to look up to me," he told them after Bucky suggested they look into T'Challa giving him a vibranium replacement. "If they can live with theirs then I can live with this."

Peter nodded as he took his phone to prepare. "It'd be all Spidey, not Peter Parker."

He took turned posing with everyone, letting the others take pictures rather than take selfies. When it came time for a group shot, Peter shot a web at the ceiling and attached the camera to it, setting it on a timer and sliding in front of them while they all did a small pose.

Going back to the phone Peter found Bucky and Sam and even Rhodey flipping the camera off while Bruce picked his nose, leaving just Steve and Wanda smiling. "I can't put that online," he said waving them back into place.

Steve told them to behave themselves for the next one, which came out much better. Bruce did his usual flex, Sam threw up a peace sign, Wanda smiled and waved at the camera, Bucky held up half a Wakandan salute and Peter held up horns like a rocker while Steve and Rhodey stood on either side of the group giving a military salute.

"Much better," Peter said looking it over. "Wish I could get one with all of us, but I doubt Black Panther's gonna fly in for a photo shoot, and I don't know if Doc will even show up on cameras."

"He's a sorcerer," Bruce said with a laugh, "not a vampire."

"Tomato, tomorrow, whatever," Peter said with a shrug.

"It's tomato, tomato-" Rhodey started, but then winced when he saw Peter's grin and muttered to himself, "As if Tony wasn't enough."

"Thanks guys," Peter said tucking his phone away. "Same time next week?"

"Don't forget to bring spare webs," Steve told him. "I want to work on how you use them."

"Spare webs," Peter said walking backward toward the lobby. "See you around. If you need anything you know my number." He mimed a phone before spinning on his heel, waving to the receptionist on his way out and saying a quick farewell to the paparazzi before firing a web which pulled him toward a roof he then kicked off, swinging away with a smile on his face.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"You ready?" Peter asked as he sat against a wall.

"Yes!" Morgan was sat at the door to her mother's room, the further straight line from him without having gone into Pepper's room.

Peter smirked and fired a web at his backpack, which he strapped to her back and filled with pillows. It retracted and pulled her down the hall, Morgan shrieking with joy as she clung to the blanket tucked under her, making her slide easier. She slammed into Peter, who groaned and laughed as she giggled and turned around, "Again!"

"Alright, let's-" Peter was picking up the blanket to reset everything when his phone chirped and he pulled it from his pocket and saw a message from May.

'Are you okay?'

Morgan tilted her head at him when he looked at her in confusion before slinging the blanket over his shoulder and texting back, 'Yeah. Why?'

A moment later she replied, 'The news. I thought you might be there.'

"There?" Peter said pocketing his phone. "Hold up, Mo. I need to check the news."

"FRIDAY," Morgan called out following him into the living room while taking off his bag, "Put on the news for Peter!"

Peter ruffled her hair as she came to a stop beside him in front of the large television, but his smirk faded when it came to life and he saw a twenty five foot robot fending off the Avengers as a volcano erupted behind them. Scarlet walls of energy guided the lava to a nearby river while the one-armed Hulk battered the giant robot yet barely made a dent and War Machine flew around it like a fly before peeling away to join the others.

There seemed to be a group of soldiers leading the robot, but they were busy fighting off the Black Panther, Ant-Man and the Winter Soldier. When Bucky saw the robot knock Hulk toward the lava, where Wanda swiftly caught him, the soldier fired on the robot until it turned its attention toward him. His smirk fell when he saw its eye sockets light up a split second before a beam of energy shot out of them.

That was when Falcon landed in front of him holding Captain America's vibranium shield. The impact was enough to knock Sam into Bucky, making both tumble back while the energy itself rebounded into the robot. After reeling for a moment it turned its gaze back on them only to turn toward Ant-Man as he grew even taller than the robot and grabbed it's head.

Just as the robot went to fire it's beam upon Ant-Man he disappeared, or rather shrunk so small none could see him. They would find out later he had landed on the robot's shoulder and passed into it's head, where it began tearing at circuits until the giant robot toppled over.

Morgan was sat with Peter on the couch when they won, letting out a cheer while she hugged him. However after his initial relief at their victory he found it hard to match her joy. For a moment he wondered why he wasn't there, but he knew the answer.

"FRIDAY shut it off," Peter said turning to Morgan. "Let's clean up before your mom gets home."

When Pepper came back Peter had emptied the pillow in his backpack and had Morgan sat at the kitchen island eating dinner. Pepper walked up to Morgan, who beamed at her mother when she kissed her head. "How'd you two do today?"

"Pretty good," Peter said leaning against the island with his arms crossed on the counter.

"We saw daddy's friends beat up the robot," Morgan said nodding happily.

Pepper looked to Peter, who shrugged. "May thought I might be there."If there was any doubt he was upset that ended when he added with a shrug, "They must've known I was busy."

"Peter," Pepper said with a sigh.

"It's fine," he said with a shrug. "I'm gonna get going. I've got like three reports due by the end of the week."

Pepper seemed relieved he wasn't going off to patrol. "Thank you for watching her."

"Anytime," he said picking his bag off the stool beside Morgan and giving her a quick hug. "See you around, Motormouth."

Peter waved to Pepper before the elevator doors closed and his smile fell away. He did have three reports due by Friday, but he'd finished them Monday. Once he was out of the building he glanced at an alley but decided to hop on the bus instead.

He got off near Bleecker Street, making his way to the Sanctum of Doctor Strange. Standing before the building, Peter anxious adjusted the strap of his bag before knocking on the door. Moments passed without an answer and Peter frowned, muttering, "They probably called him too."

Fixing his bag on his back, Peter turned and reached the sidewalk before he heard the door opened and turned to see Doctor Strange standing in a buttoned shirt and slacks rather than his usual mystic robes or cloak.

"What do you want, Parker?"

Peter made his way back to the door with a smirk. "I can't tell if this is dressed up or down for you."

"Down," came the female voice which made Strange wince. Peter looked confused toward the door before grinning at Strange, who reluctantly opened the door more to reveal a pretty blonde woman. She stuck out her hand saying, "Doctor Christine Palmer."

"Doc and Doc," Peter said shaking her hand, "Cool."

Christine snickered. "And you are?"

"Oh, sorry, I'm, uh, I'm Peter. We…" He glanced to Strange before offering dubiously, "Work… together."

Christine nodded slowly, looking between them asking, "So you're like his apprentice?"

"No," both men quickly answered.

"Right," she said holding back a smirk and turning to Strange. "Is he like you?"

Strange crossed his arms, eyeing Peter before saying, "In a way."

"Is she?" Peter asked with a nudge toward her.

"No," Christine said turning to him. "Just a normal doctor."

"She's a great doctor," Strange told Peter. "Now what did you want, Parker?"

"Right, sorry to interrupt your date," he said, making the two glance at one another as if they weren't sure that was what it was. "I, uh… I don't know why I came here. I guess I just wanted to see if the others called you in."

"Called me in? Oh, that robot thing." Strange nodded. "They did, but I was preoccupied."

Peter nodded, glancing to Christine. "Cooking dinner?"

Strange shook his head, his expression darkening as he said. "Dealing with a friend."

"Sorry," said Peter. "I'll, uh-I'll get out of your hair. It's a was nice meeting you, Doctor Palmer."

"You too, Peter," she said with a nod.

Strange shared a glance with her as Peter turned to leave. With a sigh at her imploring expression, Stephen turned to Peter. "You could join us, Parker."

Peter brow knit as he turned, surprised at the offer but found he had to force a smile. "I know better than to be the third wheel. Thanks for the offer though. Enjoy the meal!"

He turned and hurried off pushing down the flood of embarrassment he felt, quickly turning hopping onto a bus before the doors closed. "Sorry, sorry," he said swiping his card and hurrying to a seat near the back. The murmur of the passengers mixed with the sounds of the city as Peter sank into his thoughts.

They left him behind. He didn't even need to ask why, he'd just ignored and brushed off how they treated him like a child. He saw how they all tensed whenever Hulk hit him despite the fact Peter was holding back just as much as Bruce was. They joked about it but there was no doubt in his mind they thought of him the same they would Morgan.

When he got off the bus and started his trek back to May's, Peter stopped at a store with an Iron Man mural painted on the side of the building. 'He didn't them when he started,' he thought bitterly. 'Neither do I.

'I've been doing this for two years and he was the only one who ever helped me, and even then he took my suit. I went to war for them and this is the thanks I get? Ignored and treated like I'm less than them when the truth is I'm more! I could take them all on myself and they ditch me? I'll show them. I'll shove it in their face and make them see I can do a lot more than hold my own with them.'

As his bitter thoughts sank deeper and twisted into anger an idea came to mind. He let out a laugh and smirked whispering, "Big Man."

It was a name he'd heard pop up a few times since his return. It seemed he was the new kingpin of New York after Wilson Fisk was arrested. People said Big Man had enhanced people as his captains.

Whoever Big Man was Peter knew he'd be rotting in jail once Peter found him.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Turk Barrett arrived at the pier early to scope the place out. Things had been a bit easier during the Decimation, but with everyone brought back he once again had to worry about being spotted by one of those jumped up vigilantes.

When his mark finally arrived he greeted him with a smirk, bringing the guy to the van which he opened to reveal his arsenal. "All prime cuts," Turk said with a sly smile.

"They look expired."

"Expired?" Turk asked looking to the guy beside him before realizing he hadn't spoken.

Both men turned around, drawing their guns, but before they could fire a shot Turk was yanked into the air along with his buyer. Both men yelled as they flew toward the nearby lamp post, where Spider-Man sat squatting with four thin arachnid arms sticking out of his back and glowing eyes. He caught both by their collars, holding them up in front of him.

While Turk had dropped his gun the buy held on to his, but before he could shoot Spider-Man slammed his head into the post, knocking the guy unconscious and letting him fall. Turk gasped and looked down, watching the guy come to a stop a few feet from the ground and swing as Spider-Man pulled Turk closer.

"Tell me what you know about Big Man," Spider-Man said in a modulated voice.

"I-I don't know what you talkin' bout, man," Turk said with a nervous laugh.

Two golden legs slid forward, digging into the gap between Turk's collar and shoulder, making him yell in pain and disgust as if they were real spider legs. "I know you sell his weapons. Tell me about his captains. Names, hangouts, everything."

"Man, I don't know man!" Turk exclaimed glancing down. "Just-Just let me down, I hate heights!"

"You sure you want me to drop you?" Spider-Man asked noting, "Your web might be a bit longer than his."

Turk glanced down at the buyer's head swinging low enough his geriatric mother could've kicked his teeth in. "Fine, fine," Turk whispered, "but you gotta do right by me and make it like you didn't get nothing. No one can know."

Spider-Man's lenses narrowed before he said, "Talk."

"Look, I don't know a lot, but I keep an ear to the ground," Turk began nervously. "I know people say they ain't seen his face, but not because he hides. Dude wears a mask and trilby or some shit like he stepped out some black and white movie. His crew ain't shit though, not for dudes like you and the big boys.

"They act like they're like you but they ain't. I knew them back before the purple guy and they were just some punks acted like they were in the circus. Ox ain't got nothing on Hulk, man, trust me, I got him his 'roids back when he was a dweeb on the corner. Snake Marston's just a reject out of cirque de soleil, and Hammer Harrison is just some gym rat who couldn't make it as a boxer."

"Is that all?" Spider-Man asked raising him slightly.

Turk held up his hands. "Big Man's got someone at the Bugle."

Spider-Man's lenses narrowed again, but even Turk had the sense that he was angry rather than just intimidating. "What?"

"I-I don't know who, man, I swear. I just know-Look, a few years back there was word someone got some info on him. His name or some proof about his crew, something that could get him busted. So he had people go to every paper in the city and bust them up and their records, but word went out strong that people who touched anyone at the Bugle would be dealt with. Supposedly his boys were gonna take care of it, but I know people who saw his captains at other spots that night. So either he went alone and somehow convinced Jameson to keep quiet or he never went there. Either way he gotta have someone there or something, right?"

Spider-Man looked him over for a few seconds before nodding. "Thanks."

"You wel-" was all Turk got out before Spider-Man released him and he let out a scream, though to his relief the web stopped so he hung right beside his buyer.

Spider-Man flipped off the post and lifted both of them, his golden legs severing the ropes holding them. In a burst of movement Spider-Men put them against the post and stuck them in place with a bit more web.

"It'll dissolve in a while," Spider-Man told Turk before asking, "You got your wallet on you?"

"I-I think," he said staring at him in confusion. "Don't tell me you're gonna jack me now or something."

"Any family pictures or heirlooms in your van?" Spider-Man asked walking toward it.

Turk's brow rose. "Wait, hold up, please, man! That's my livelihood."

Spider-Man turned to him and shrugged while closing the doors. "Gotta make it look like you didn't give me anything, right?"

Turk stared at him a moment before his shoulder sank and he closed his eyes. "Just do it."

Peeking, Turk saw Spider-Man grab the side of the van, which buckled slightly as Spider-Man seemed to pull it off the ground, holding it overhead before launching it into the river.

Turk watched Spider-Man swing away and sighed.

* * *

**AN:**

I'm gonna snatch that happiness away from Peter like a weave, hehe. There small time jumps with this chapter, but nothing so big I felt the need to go into. A few weeks at most.

Next chapter: The Daily Bugle! Plus, a Marvel Team-Up!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Peter stood on Fifth Avenue in the Flatriron District where the triangular Daily Bugle building loomed over him. The nano pod on his back felt oddly heavy as he took a breath and made his way into the building.

The receptionist was an older woman who greeted him with a smile. "How can I help you, dear?"

"Hi, I'm, uh, I'm looking for my friends from before the…" He frowned, playing up the innocent, lost teenager which left the women frowning sympathetically. "I heard they work here or maybe just intern here. Their names are Ned and Betty, or I guess, uh, Edward Leeds and Elizabeth Brant."

The receptionist was puddy in his hands, reaching out to put her hand over his as she nodded. "Of course, sweetie. Betty and Ned are interns here. Let me have someone get them."

"Thank you," he pitifully, barely keeping himself from rolling his eyes as she turned to call them.

When the doors opened three minutes later Ned and Betty were clearly shocked and confused by his appearance there.

"Pete?" Ned asked coming up to give him a hug.

"We haven't met since the snap," Peter whispered as they hugged.

Ned quickly pulled back and gasped, "It's been-When I didn't hear anything since everyone disappeared I thought-"

"My phone expired," Peter said with a laugh. Betty looked on in barely hidden confusion as Peter turned to hug her, whispering, "I need to get inside."

Betty cast a nervous glance to Ned before she put on a smile and stepped back from Peter. "It's been forever, Pete. I can barely believe it."

"And I can barely believe you two work here," Peter said looking around the lobby. "I'm kind of jealous. You know I always thought about working here." Turning back to them he asked with put on hope, "Any chance you guys could show me around while we catch up?"

"I don't know," Betty said cautiously glancing toward the receptionist, who gasped.

"Oh, go ahead, dear," she said with a wave of her hand. "I'm sure it will be fine."

"Really?" Peter perked up and grinned. "Thanks, ma'am."

Ned glanced at the receptionist before ushering Peter inside. "Come on, bud, let's give you the tour."

Once they were through the doors, Peter kept an eye open for key spots. The first came when they led him into the break room, closing the door behind them. After Betty and Ned glanced at each other they turned to find Peter setting something on the side of the vending machine. It looked like a dark red bug which crawled behind it.

"What was that?" Betty asked moving closer to Ned. "Did you put a bug in here?"

"Not literally," Peter said turning to them. "It's a tracers so I can listen to conversations here."

"Isn't that kinda an invasion of privacy, dude?" asked Ned.

"It's worth it for the chance to catch a crime boss," Peter said with a shrug.

Betty frowned. "Crime boss?"

"Big Man." The words made both of them stand at attention, looking a bit fearful. "He protected someone here back when his gang raided all the papers. I want to find out who it is so they lead me to him."

"You can't know that," Betty said crossing her arms and eyeing him doubtfully. "What is this really about?"

"I spent all night beating up like two dozens guys and they all said the same thing," Peter said with a frustrated groan. "Big Man said anyone who went after people at the Bugle without his direct say so would get dealt with personally. He's protecting someone here, though I don't have any clue who or really why. Maybe they're a source on rival gangs or something."

Once again glancing at each other, Ned said with surprise, "You're being serious."

Peter's brow knit as he asked, "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, because…" Betty frowned and squeezed Ned's hand. "You haven't called or texted since we talked."

"I've been busy," Peter said with a dismissive shrug. "It's not like I'm in the minor leagues anymore."

Ned perked up. "You're really an Avenger now?"

Peter took a breath, adding it to the growing pile he was pushing into his twisting stomach. "I'm taking Big Man down. Now, please, can you guys help?"

"Of course," Betty said without hesitation.

Ned nodded in agreement. "What do you need?"

"Leads," Peter said then winced as they both smirked and he corrected himself to, "Clues. Anyone who's suspicious. Anyone using more money than they make. I had Karen check the public records for all the staff but she couldn't find anything that stood out."

"We're only interns, Pete," Ned said apologetically. "Most people treat us like crap. It's not like they're telling us about their secret lives as crime bosses."

"Who's the worst person here?" asked Peter.

"Jameson," both said without hesitation.

"Could it be him?"

Both scoffed and answered, "No."

Peter smirked, both at how in unison they were and the quick dismissal. "Okay. If you guys really can't think of anything, is there any chance you could introduce me to people? Walk me around the offices? Maybe I'll, uh, notice something." He never quite figured out how to explain his extra sense, but maybe he would feel whoever Big Man was.

They took him around the offices, introducing him to a few people they liked, which shockingly included the Editor-in-Chief, an older black man with gray hair named Joseph Robertson. "Robbie's fine," he said shaking Peter's hand.

"It's an honor, Mister, um, Robbie."

"You're Peter Parker." The proclamation made them turn to a slim, light haired man who walked up to them with a sly smile. "You're the Starks' babysitter."

Relieved, Peter let out a laugh and nodded, glancing at his name tag to see he was Frederick Foswell. "Yeah. I got pretty lucky. They've been great."

"Any thing you can spill?"

"Freddie," Robbie quietly chastised with a sigh. "Let the kid breath."

"Sorry boss," Foswell chuckled and handed him a card. "If you ever wanna dish my phone's always on."

"I'll keep t hat in mind," Peter said mentally throwing the card in the trash as he pocketed it.

Robbie shook his head turning to Peter. "Sorry about that. Off the record though, how'd you end with that gig?"

"Luck," Peter offered with a shrug. "I landed an internship at Stark back before everything and I caught Mr. Stark's attention so we talked a bunch. He kind of took me under his wing-or, uh, repulsor."

"Well if stark took an interest in you then I'll be sure to keep an eye out," Robbie said with a smirk.

"Robbie!" Everyone around him seemed to wince as Peter turned to see the salt-and-pepper haired John Jonah Jameson striding toward them. Standing in front of them, he pulled a cigar from his lips and blew the smoke on Peter and the interns, asking with a snort, "Who's the midget?"

"JJ," Robbie sighed.

"What? Oh, Dwarf, or whatever the midgets call themselves nowadays."

"Just getting the tour," Peter said eyeing him.

"We're giving tours now?" Jameson took a drag from his cigar asking, "What's my cut?"

"Just get in my office, JJ," Robbie said rubbing his forehead, "and put the damn cigar out."

"It's part of the show," Jameson argued.

"That only counts for live shows, not offices," Robbie said closing the door once they were in his office.

Peter blinked and turned to them saying, "Yeah it's definitely not him."

When they were finishing up the tour, Betty told Ned, "I'll walk Peter out."

Peter noticed Ned start to say something but stop himself, glancing to Peter before taking a breath and nodding. "Alright," Ned said kissing Betty's cheek before turning to Peter. "If you need anymore help finding this guy don't hesitate to let us know, Pete."

"I won't," Peter assured, giving Ned a quick nod.

Betty led Peter out to the elevator, where she hit the call button and turned to him. "I'm glad you came to us for help."

"It was this or break in," Peter said with a laugh.

Betty looked him over and shook her head. "Of course you'd be right back to it."

"It's what I am," Peter said with a shrug. "Sorry to throw your day off, but don't worry about this guy. He clearly doesn't want to hurt anyone here so you're safe."

"I'm more concerned about if you're safe," she said frowning. "It seems like every day we come here there's more reports about you. Don't you ever take a break anymore?"

Peter shrugged. "I had a five year break."

"Peter," she sighed, "please take a break. For my sake?"

His jaw shifted as he tucked his hands into his pockets. "You should save your sakes for Ned."

Betty frowned. "Pete… I'm so sorry. You have to understand, I-"

"I understand," he said quickly. "You thought I was dead. I left you alone when I said I never would. It would be insane to think you'd wait for me or something when you thought I was dead forever. Even if you knew five years is too long. You're a great girl, Betty. Of course you wouldn't be wasting away waiting for me."

"I'm still sorry," she whispered. "Maybe if things had been different-"

"Don't," Peter said shaking his head and looking to the elevator he heard approaching. "I know better than anyone this is how it had to be."

Betty frowned. He tried to hide it but she could see the edge of his pain peeking through his mask. "I really did love you," she whispered, making him turn his gaze on her again. "A part of always will in some way. At the worst time in my life you were my best friend. You kept me from drowning in it all and saved me from a life with my parents' murderer. I can never thank you enough for that."

Peter watched as she reached over, taking his hand from his pocket before meeting his gaze again. "I know it might be hard, but… I'd still like to be your friend. I know Ned misses you and wants the same."

The elevator doors opened and Peter glanced at it before taking his hand from hers. "I'll see you around, Betty," he said tapping the ground floor button as he stepped into the elevator, standing in the corner and giving her a stoic nod when the doors closed on her teary eyed frown.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Friday," said the voice on the recording from the Bugle. "I got a job in the city over the weekend so I can't leave. No, Harlem's too hot. Cage is back. I got this place in the Bronx. You got a pen or something?"

As Peter looked at the address on the map Karen brought up on his phone, he realized he had been wrong about things. "Big Man doesn't have a source at the Bugle. He works there," Peter told Karen.

"How do you know that?" she asked.

"Listen to how he talks. This guy is giving the orders."

"Should we inform the others?" asked Karen.

Peter scoffed. "I can handle this on my own."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

When Friday night came Peter pulled the Iron Spider Armor pod from its dock and gave her a quick hug. "I'm heading out, May."

She sighed, stroking his hair. "Be safe, okay?"

Peter smirked. "I'll make you proud."

"I already am," she said kissing his temple before releasing him.

Peter felt an odd sense of ease and relief as he swung across the river into the Bronx. He suddenly had something to aim all of his emotion at. Something to aim himself at and give him a purpose besides going around helping people, reading and training. He was going to stop the guys hurting the people and making their lives miserable. He'd lost so many people he loved but would keep the city he loved safe.

The address he heard led to a two story building which had been taped off by boarded and left empty. When Peter arrived at the neighboring building he saw a few homeless people muttering angrily outside, clearly having been thrown out by whoever positioned the lookout at the door and had the people inside leave their weapons in the bucket beside him.

Peter's lenses let him see through the walls to the twenty inside and his spot on the wall in the alley across the street let him see through the window to those inside who Karen quickly identified.

The man known as Ox was actually Ronald Bloch, and while certainly a bigger than most people and seemingly made of pure muscle Turk was right that he wasn't shit compared to Hulk. Snake Marston, who legally changed his name to that, was just a lanky guy with a bunch of scale tattoos and lizard skin clothes. William 'Hammer' Harrison was a former boxer who was injured and ended up becoming an enforcer for the mob. They were all standing around a tall, slender man in a dark suit with white gloves and a wide brimmed hat over a stony white face mask attached to a white cloth over his head.

Peter crawled to the roof of the neighboring building to prepare for his attack when he noticed someone on the ceiling pulling open the door to the staircase. He saw they wore some kind of dark crimson tactical gear, but then noticed a pair of small red horns above the red lenses of his helmet. "Is that-"

Daredevil threw open the door and made his way down the staircase as quick and quietly as he could, coming to a landing with a boarded up back door opposite the door to the storage room. He paused, listening to the storage room to make sure it was clear before he opened the door and entered crouching, quietly closing the door behind him. He leaned against the wall beside the door at the back of the store, listening to the group on the other side.

"-gotta be careful. Cage and his people busted all our spots in Harlem and put three of us in the hospital."

"Then just take a Hammer to him," one of them men called out, earning cheers.

Matt could smell the fear in Harrison, who quickly shook his head. "I won't waste my time on some wannabe gangsta like him. We just need to be smart about this. Hit him where it hurts."

"Some people say he works with that enhanced detective lady on Forty Sixth."

Matt tensed as he smelt a flood of testosterone and ill intention when a few cheers went out. "Let's take her and make him watch!"

If he wasn't disgusted he might find it amusing to think about these idiots trying to do anything to Jessica, but hearing their cheers get more fervent made him throw open the door and stride into the room. "Why don't you try me first?!"

The room turned to him, half of them reaching for knives or whatever they could grab to hit him with the others ran to the door. Matt dashed forward to punch the nearest thug, keeping an ear for the door where he knew they had the guns.

However he was surprised when he heard the door open only for one of the thugs to yell, "Where the hell is Pac and the guns?!" The disappearance of their lookout and their guns caused a few of them to flee, but the bulk of them stayed behind to rush Daredevil.

Matt grit his teeth as he took a hit and quickly grabbed the guys arm, pulling him into a counter hit which sent the thug into an empty rack while Matt turned and kicked the taste out of another thug's mouth. For every hit he took he dished out two more at first, but as usual the guys kept getting back up and there were more of them than him, so he quickly found himself getting exhausted and ovverwhelmed.

When he went to square off with Hammer Harrison his attention was pulled away by two of the thugs who grabbed him, one putting him in a choke hold. With a grunt Matt flipped him over, throwing him into another thug and rising to uppercut another. While his fist was still up another one tackled him to the ground, forcing Matt to throw his arms up as he was pummeled by the one who tackled him and three others kicking him.

Matt could taste the blood in his mouth when a scream cut through room that he heard getting further away until there was suddenly a dull thunk and feint mechanical whirring. A split second later he heard a soft landing before fear flooded the room and he heard half the men shout, "Spider-Man!"

"Wow, I heard this place was infested but I didn't know it was this bad," Spider-Man said with a smirk Matt could hear even through his voice modulation. "Now why don't we make a deal spider to roaches. Leave me Redhorns and Big Man and the rest of you can go home."

They all seemed to look around at each other before Big Man whispered to his captains, "Handle this or else."

That caused the trio to step forward, which bolstered the others to turn to Spider-Man, who sighed. "Jail it is."

He shot a web at the door Big Man tried to run through, but ditched it as half the room ran at him. Matt kneed the thug on top of him in the crotch and turned them, smashing the thug's face into the floor while getting to his feet, spitting out a mouthful of blood before charging Hammer Harrison. The thick weighted gloves Harrison used hurt as much as any hit Matt ever took, but it didn't stop him from slamming his own fist into the man's jaw, following it up with an uppercut the sent Harrison reeling back.

Peter arched his brow noticing the flurry of strikes Daredevil hit Harrison with, it was like watching a professional boxer pick apart an amateur. In barely ten seconds he had Harrison laid out on the floor, turning his attention to Snake. The contortionist twisted his body around Matt's strikes, dodging them while laying in his own quick hits. The problem was Ox throwing in heavy punches whenever Matt tried to counter Snake.

A few feet away Matt heard Spider-Man flipping through the air, dodging most attacks while the occasional ones that hit had little impact against the armor he wore. He then heard two grunts as Spider-Man pinned two men together and kicked them to a wall before calling out, "Ready for a team-up, Hornhead?"

Matt furrowed his brow when he heard swift thwips before a clattering crash as Spider-Man launched himself across the room, spiraling into Ox's chest, kicking him clear through the wall to the back room. Landing where Ox had been moment earlier, Spider-Man fired two shots of web and flipped back into the fray, which had lessened as more people fled the building or were stuck to the walls by web.

This time when the contortionist tried to move he found his feet stuck to the ground. His gasp was cut off by Matt's fist. The first hit made him sway while the second sent him toppling to the floor.

Taking a breath, Matt turned to find a dozen men stuck to the walls, floor and ceiling by thick webs while Spider-Man's golden arms retracted into his back. "Good work, Double D. Pardon me." Spider-Man climbed through the hole in the wall and came back holding Ox like he was a child despite being over a foot shorter and less than half the width than the giant man. "Who is your boss? What's Big Man's real name?"

"I-I don't know," Ox said coughing up dust. "I swear, he don't tell us nothin'."

"So you just work for a man you don't know?" Spider-Man asked with a scoff.

"He's got stuff on us, man," Ox offered trying and failing to wrench himself free of Spider-Man's grip until an armored hand slammed into his stomach. "He can put us away for life man! He know all our secrets and can even make them up, man. He-He showed me this picture of me with these kids man but I never did none of that shit!" Matt tilted his head hearing Ox's sincerity as he said, "He said he was gonna send it to my girl. He's got stuff on all of us and what he don't got he makes up!"

"He's telling the truth," Matt said in case Spider-Man planned to hit him again.

"Yeah," Peter said with a nod, tossing Ox to the floor and firing web across him. For a moment Matt thought he heard some kind of muffled talking before Spider-Man told him, "Police are on their way. They can handle these guys."

When they left the building through the front door Matt chuckled sensing the watchman tied to a telephone pole with the box of guns wrapped entirely in web hanging beside him. Then he felt Spider-Man grab him and tensed. "What-"

"It's faster this way," Peter said firing a web which pulled them to the roof across the street, which he kicked off to swing a few blocks away. Once they landed Matt took a breath of relief feeling the ground beneath him again. Behind him he heard Spider-Man say, "Okay, Karen, let's drop the voice."

"Karen?" Matt asked turning to him.

"My AI," Peter said in his normal voice.

"You have a-wait," Matt shook his head. "How old are you?"

Peter sighed. "Almost seventeen."

Matt shook his head. "Jesus."

"So why were you there? You tracking Big Man too?"

Snapping himself from his surprise, Matt nodded. "Yeah. A, uh, friend I guess, he had some trouble with Big Man's crew when he came back and asked another friend to look into it, and she gave me a lead which led me here."

Peter nodded, moving a bit closer to Daredevil. "What was the lead?"

"Store belonged to Harrison's aunt before the Decimation."

"Nothing about Big Man himself?"

Matt shook his head. "No. Why? He important to you?"

Peter eyed him for a moment. "Not personal, but still important."

"I see," Matt said with a nod. "I guess I'll leave you to it then."

The whole point of this was to do something on his own and prove himself but, not only would it be rude to ask him to back off, the end goal was to catch a bad guy and it would be ridiculous to act territorial. "We could work it together if you want. More eyes never hurt."

Matt stared in his direction for a moment. "Yeah."

"How should I contact you?"

Tilting his head, Matt asked, "Your suit has an AI but not a phone?"

Peter chuckled. "Sorry. I just kind of assumed you'd have some more clandestine thing planned."

Watching Daredevil take out his phone, Peter was shocked when it started reading out confirmations of what he's done. Blinking as Matt chose to add a new contact, Peter asked, "Are you blind?"

Matt snickered. "In a way."

"In the way that you can't see?" asked Peter. "Geez. And I thought I was cool."

Matt smirked. "Just cause I'm blind doesn't mean I can't see."

"So you're Zen like Hulk too?"

"Christian," Matt said with a shrug. "Zen is more Rand's thing, I think."

"Rand? Like Danny Rand?" Peter whispered before taking Matt's phone and putting in his number. "You know him?"

"He was the Iron Fist," Matt said after a moment of hesitation. He never seemed shy to tell them so why not tell Spider-Man. "Though I've heard there's a new one who took his place."

"Right," Peter said nodding while handing the phone back. "So how does a blind dude fight like that? Do you use echo location like a bat or something? Is your name actually Bat-Man?"

Matt smirked at the tangent, surprised how close he was on his first guess. "How does a kid fight like that?"

"Spider bit me and now I'm strong," he answered with a shrug.

"And the web?"

"Made it in school lab."

Matt chuckled. "When I was blinded my other senses were heightened and someone taught me how to use that to my advantage."

Noting the hint of sorrow in his voice, Peter said, "Sorry."

Surprised both that he noticed Matt's sadness and that he was genuinely empathetic, Matt smiled. "Thanks… Spider-Man?"

"Peter," he said with a nod, sticking out his hand, "Peter Parker."

"Matt Murdock," he said shaking the offered hand, "of Nelson, Murdock and Page."

* * *

**AN:**

A lot of fics paint Peter as perfectly good and altruistic, though more seem to play him like an infant despite him being a teenager. I'm making a point of making him an actual teenager and showing some of the more brash, dickish behavior his comic or cartoon versions can show at times.

For anyone wondering, Big Man and his captains aren't OCs, they are from the early Spider-Man comics. Issue 10.

If memory serves, DD ditched the red suit at the end of Season 3 of his show, but let's just go with him deciding to get it back in the many weeks post-Endgame. Also pardon any slips of 'see' with Matt, I tried to catch them but some are bound to happen. Let's just take them a metaphorical sees meaning simply senses.

And for anyone wondering the closest I get to using anything from Far From Home is the suit making pod and Tony's glasses, but both are a bit different from what I've read in spoilers and those were in trailers and clips for months. Both are ideas I kinda love and wanted to include as soon as I thought of the story.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

"Maybe he had a school thing," Bucky said as he waited in the lobby of their HQ with Steve.

"On a weekend?"

"I mean, he does seem the type." Bucky shrugged. "You hear how he is with Bruce. It's like they're talking another language."

Steve shook his head. "No, he would let us know. He's a good kid."

"He's also a kid, Steve," Bucky said patting his shoulder. "He might be out necking with some girl."

Steve turned to Bucky frowning. "He's still torn up about his last girlfriend. Does he really seem the type to go go right to that?"

Bucky sighed. "Shit. You don't think something happened to him, do you? Maybe Wanda knows something."

Glancing at the doors one last time, Steve nodded. "Let's check before we do anything."

Wanda was standing off to the side of Bruce's lab watching him put everything in order when Steve and Bucky entered. The concern on their faces were tinted with confusion as Bucky asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for Peter," she said with a shrug. "He's supposed to work with Bruce today."

"Except he's late," said Bucky.

Bruce turned to them. "You think something's wrong?"

"It's over forty minutes," Steve said looking between the two. "Either of you think he's the type to just now show up or give any kind of warning he'll be late?"

"Maybe he's just busy as Spider-Man?" Wanda suggested.

"Check his cheqer account," Bruce suggested. "Maybe he posted something on there."

Pulling up the app, Wanda brought up his account and smiled seeing FNSpidey now had two million followers. However his last post was from Friday afternoon, and that was just a picture of the old Avengers Tower which was nearing completion with the caption, "Always." She frowned at the clear sentiment and shook her head to the others.

"Should we call Fury?" Bucky asked Steve.

"Pepper should be able to track his suits," Bruce said before adding grimly, "Assuming he's in one."

On a whim Wanda brought up a search engine and did a news search for new Spider-Man stories. It was her gasp which drew the attention of the others as she clicked a new story.

"What is it?" asked Steve.

"He took out a gang with the Daredevil," she said handing Steve her phone.

"What?" Bucky shook his head before moving in to look over Steve's left shoulder while Bruce took the right. "It says they captured eighteen mobsters, including the captains of someone called Big Man."

Stepping aside, Bruce hesitantly asked, "Is-Is he cheating on us with other vigilantes?"

"Cheating on us?" Bucky laughed.

"He might be right," Steve said returning Wanda's phone. "Has anyone heard from him at all since China?"

Glancing at her phone, Wanda frowned. "No. He usually texts me a few times a day but I just assumed he was busy with school. He's supposed to have his finals coming up."

"You think something's wrong?" asked Bruce.

"He's a kid," Bucky said with a shrug. "They ditch stuff. Their attention spans are crap nowadays.."

"God you sound so old," Wanda said shaking her head.

"Pete isn't like that. If he's not here then he has a reason." Bruce turned to Steve. "We have that thing with Pepper tomorrow, right? Maybe he'll be there. We can ask him about it there without making him feel any pressure about having missed today. It's not like it was mandatory or anything."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Bells rang and the doors to Midtown Science and Technology burst open as Peter exited the school. He weaved through a few alleys before leaping onto a fire escape and launching himself onto a roof as his Iron Spider Armor formed around him.

"Good afternoon, Peter," Karen greeted him.

"Hey, Kare," he said stripping his clothes and packing them away with practiced movements while leaping to the neighboring building. Once they were tucked away he slung his bag over his shoulders and fired a web to swing back toward May's.

"You have two voice messages and one text."

"Who from?" Peter asked as he released a web and spun horizontally before firing another. He always came out of school feeling like he had to burn off excess energy.

"You have one text message from Matt Morlock," she said, reading the name Peter had Daredevil listed under, "one voice message from Mr. Rogers. and another voice message from Wanda Express."

"Read the text," he said landing on a roof.

"It reads, 'I didn't get anything at Bugle. Asked friend to look into staff.'"

"It was a long shot," Peter told himself, launching himself off the building and continuing on his path to May's. "What about the voice messages. Do they sound like emergencies?"

After a moment, Karen answered, "No, neither caller sounds alarmed."

"Then leave 'em," he said pulling his bag off and tossing it toward May's building, where he fired a web shot which stuck the bag to the roof while Peter spun and swung away.

After sending Matt a text back thanking him for trying, Peter spent his afternoon doing his usual neighborhood duties, swinging around helping people where he could.

He was sat on a stoop in the Bronx, laughing as Geoffrey told his cousins and girlfriend how he sneaked onto the roof to smoke and got stuck there until Spider-Man came to save him, when Karen told him, "Text from Mr. Rogers."

"Sorry, give me a second guys," Peter said getting to his feet and stepping away. "Read it."

"'Get to the HQ ASAP.'"

Peter frowned, turning back to the others. "Sorry guys, but I gotta go." As they all gave disappointed groaned, Peter chuckled, walking backward. "Don't worry, Ken, you got this test. Just study and relax and you'll ace it."

"Thanks!" The younger boy called out as Peter raised his hand behind him, firing a web which pulled him toward a building as he spun and fired another which carried him south.

He arrived outside the Avengers HQ in minutes, landing outside the doors and looking around as he made his way inside. The receptionist told him he Cap was in a conference room upstairs, so he made his way upstairs, giving a few salutes and high fives to those he passed along the way.

Entering the conference room he found it occupied by not only Steve but all the Avengers bar Scott, T'Challa, Stephen Strange and the retired Clint.

Peter's masked retracted as he looked at their solemn expressions. "What's up?"

"We were hoping you could tell us," Steve said tapping a button which brought up an article on his raids with Matt. After the first one where they took out the captains they busted another warehouse the previous night, which had come up empty as far as Big Man was concerned.

Though he'd reached for a chair intending to sit, Peter decided to just hold it and stand as he answered, "I'm doing my job. Busting bad guys. Looking out for the little guy."

"That's not your job, Pete," Bruce said with a sigh. "Your job is focusing in school."

Peter rolled his eyes. "Okay Grandma."

Sam and Wanda snickered as Bruce frowned. "I'll take that as a compliment. Grandmothers are fountains of wisdom."

Sensing they were upset about it, Peter smirked asking, "What? Are you guys jealous you're not the only superheroes I know?"

"Pete, this Big Man guy is dangerous," said Steve. "While you were gone he took control of just about every crime family in the city and wiped out the ones who didn't join him."

Crossing his arms, Peter asked, "And?"

His tone and stance made it clear he was defensive, so Steve sighed and sat up with a genial smile. "Look, if this is important to you how about we look into it and we can deal with him together?"

"You think I need your help?" Peter asked with a scoff. "Of course you do."

"It's not like that," Rhodey said shaking his head. "We're just looking out for our own."

"Don't." The edge in his voice surprised them. "Don't sit there and act like any of you believe that crap."

"What do you mean?" asked Wanda.

Peter looked them over before meeting Steve's gaze across the table. "I'm not one of you. Not really. Not when it matters."

"What are you talking about?" asked Sam.

"I see the news too, you know," Peter said keeping his eyes locked on Steve. "If I was one of you I wouldn't have to find out about missions from my aunt sending me a text worried I'm with you fighting some robot near a volcano."

Understanding washed over the room. "That's what this is about?" Bucky asked with a relieved laugh, but Peter kept his gaze on Steve.

"Pete, we had to rush-"

"Don't lie," Peter cut of Bruce with a glance. "Black Panther was there and he's in Wakanda. Even if he was on the way Ant-Man was there, and he's across the country. You even asked Doctor Strange but he was busy, yet you couldn't ask me? I wasn't even a borough over. I was just up a few blocks babysitting Morgan. You could've called and picked me up and I could've left her with May or Happy or Pepper. They would've understood."

Bucky glanced at Steve, who was frowning under Peter's gaze. "We didn't think," Bucky said turning to Peter. "We were in such a rush-"

"That's even worse," Peter said with a laugh. "You're telling me not a single one of you even thought about me before you were gone?"

While Bucky winced Steve shook his head. "We did. We just decided it was best if you were trained more before joining us on missions."

"Like Doctor Banner with all his combat training," Peter said motioning to him, "or Scott with his long military experience, or Sam's long history of fighting off giant robots, or Wanda and all her long history of military service before she joined you guys."

Wanda frowned as she realized he had a point. She had been the same age when she and Pietro helped them fight Ultron. While she had seen it from her perspective, having lost a brother his age, she had forgotten she had also been the same age and survived. Pietro's youth or lack of experience weren't why he died, but she had used them as reasons for her concern.

"He's right," she whispered, looking to Steve.

"It's not about military training," Steve began, but Peter cut him off.

"No, it's about you ignoring that I have more experience than any of you." While Sam, Bucky and Rhodey snickered, Bruce and Wanda looked confused and Steve frowned. "You guys train and go out on a mission every few weeks or something, but I'm out there every day. I have been for two years straight, apart from the break I took to go to Berlin to beat up Chilly McFreeze and Birdbrain."

"Beat us up?" Bucky scoffed.

"McFreeze?" Sam asked with a laugh.

"I have more experience doing this than all of you put together," Peter said firmly, "but you still act like I'm an infant when the truth is you're the one most likely to be diapers."

There were a few stifled laughs and even Steve's brow rose in surprise. He might have laughed if it wasn't clear this meant a lot to Peter. He was just being deflective like Tony, poking him to try and get a rise from him. "I know it's frustrating but you're still young, Pete. You have people who care about you and we can't let you go risking your life without knowing you'll be safe."

Peter searched Steve's eyes before disappointment colored his expression and he pushed off the chair to stand straight. "That's such a cop out. I'd ask you to at least be honest with me, but I think it's pretty clear no one respects me enough to do that. Or maybe none of you want to admit the only reason I'm here is because Mr. Stark died and you think me in for his sake. But guess what? He's dead." Peter's jaw shifted as he took a step back and forced a big shrug saying, "And I'm done."

With that Peter's mask reformed around his head as he turned and left the room. "Peter-" half the room said, getting to their feet as they watched him storm out of the room, hopping over the rail to land on the first floor, doubtless sprinting out the door.

"Damn it," Steve said sinking into his chair.

Bucky leaned back in his chair, turning to Steve. "See. He's still a kid."

Wanda shot him a glare. "Are you serious?"

"Teenagers are always like this," he said nodding. "They get angsty and run off to sulk, but watch. If he doesn't call to apologize in a few days then he'll show up Saturday trying to act like nothing happened."

Rhodey was sat back in his chair with his arms crossed until he turned to Steve. "He's kinda right, isn't he?" When the others turned to him, Rhodey clarified, "He's got more experience at this gig then most of us. Maybe all of us like he said. This ain't an every day thing for us. I mean we're ready for it every day, but it's not like we're out there half as much as him."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Bruce said looking to Steve. "You said yourself, Pepper and his aunt are worried about him. He's out every day doing this, he barely sleeps except for at school. It's like being Spider-Man is all he has."

Sam saw Wanda wince and slump forward, putting her head in her hands. "What is it?"

She brushed her hair back as she raised her head. "I should've seen it. I was his handler and I… I failed."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Peter swung from Avengers HQ unsure where he was going and what he was doing. "Did I just quit the Avengers?" he asked kicking off a roof and firing a web that carried him around a corner.

"Did you?" asked Karen.

"I-I think I did." He wanted to stop and think but felt like he would be even more overwhelmed if he did, so he kept swinging until he was exhausted.

It was dark out when he finally landed on the roof of a tall condo building and spun around to sit on the corner looking out across the illuminated city. "I can't believe I quit the Avengers. Am I an idiot?"

"No," Karen assured.

Peter chuckled. "Thanks. You might be t he only person to think that."

"May I ask why you quit?"

"I don't know. They just… They say I'm one of them but I'm not, not really. They treat me like I am when they're here but when it matters, when I can actually help them, I'm just some kid they leave behind. It's like I'm some make-a-wish kid they're letting be an Avenger, or maybe they're just doing it because Mr. Stark asked them to. Either way I can't just stay there and pretend like I'm one of them when I know I'm not, right?"

"If you say so," Karen offered, unsure how to respond.

"Thanks for help, Kare," he said sarcastically. A moment later he sighed. "Sorry." After another moment he rolled his eyes muttering, "I'm apologizing to an AI."

"I appreciate it," Karen said sounding amused.

Peter chuckled and leaned back on his elbows. "Well, now I have to get Big Man or I'm just an idiot. So what do we know about Big Man? His real identity."

"We know he blackmailed people to control them. We know he has a connection to the Daily Bugle. We know he had work in the city over the weekend. We know he-"

"What?" Peter sat up. "He had work. Karen pull up the Bugles for Saturday, Sunday and Today."

"Am I looking for something in particular?" she asked bringing up windows with each issue.

"Stories about something that happened over the weekend, but they have to be something that would've been known in advance. Something that… That party at Stark Tower I skipped! Who reported on it?"

Peter sat up as Karen scrolled through the Bugles before pulling up the article on the Stark Tower party as she said, "Frederick Foswell."

With a grin Peter exclaimed, "Gotcha."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Freddie Foswell entered his apartment with a sigh, running a hand through his hair before tossing his keys on the table. He heard their slide suddenly cut short and turned to see a man with stubble across his jaw and scalp smirking at him. Freddie quickly pulled the pistol from his waist demanding, "Who the hell are you?"

The man chuckled. "Someone who isn't here."

Freddie scoffed. "The hell does that mean?"

"The person I work for would like to help with your arachnid problem."

The intruder smirked as he looked around the apartment and Freddie saw the edge of a scorpion tattoo on his neck which nearly made him gasp. This was MacDonald Gargan. He'd worried about him coming back on the scene when he managed to get out of prison a few years earlier, but he hadn't heard anything about him since then.

Lowering his gun, Freddie asked dubiously, "Who do you work for?"

"Someone who can help you regain your position in the city if you help him."

Freddie took a breath and shrugged. "Help how?"

"There's something coming into the city tonight we wants," Mac said taking an envelope from his coat and setting it on the table. As Freddie took it he continued, "If you can't obtain it then we would like any information being transferred with it. If you could destroy it that would be a bonus, but it doesn't matter so long as we possess either the information on it or the shipment itself."

Freddie took a seat across from the man as he read through the paper in the envelope. "I can get any files easy enough, but moving it might be a hassle. The heat that will get-"

"Will be worth it," the tattooed man assured.

Freddie eyed him before tucking the paper back in the envelope, which Mac took back. "Is this it? How are you gonna help me with Spider-Man and his friend? Or the heat this is gonna get me?"

Setting a small paper on the table, Mac said simply, "Go here."

Freddie looked at the paper and scoffed. "Chinatown?"

Rising from his seat Mac assured him, "Go there and you'll find the answer to all our problems."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Given everything Peter decided he needed to do this alone, so with a silent apology to Matt he set off to Foswell's apartment in the city, but no one was there. Just as he let out a frustrated sigh, Peter noticed the window was unlocked so put his hand to it and pulled, smirking as the window opened.

"Perfect," he said crawling into the apartment. "Any alarms, Karen?"

"Not that I can detect."

Peter's body dropped, hanging by a single hand before he released his grip and fell to the floor. He started at the common places for notes but there were only ash trays on the tables and a few of Foswell's articles clipped to the fridge. In the closet he found a box with a bunch of newspapers he quickly realized were all ones with his articles in them.

"There's got to be more here, right? Karen can you, like, scan the walls or something? Maybe there's some kind of secret safe somewhere or something?"

"I can detect no safes hidden from view," she said after a moment.

Peter looked around until he spotted a vent and his brow rose. "What about there?" He asked crawling up the wall to pull the vent off. Inside he saw a solid white board which he tapped, causing the cardboard to buckle, revealing the duct behind it. While not large enough for someone to craw l through, it was large enough to hold the hard drives stacked inside it.

"Jackpot." Peter pulled a small panel on his arm aside and plugged the drives into the slot. "Copy and isolate them, alright Karen? I don't want it doing anything to you."

"Of course, Peter." It was barely a second before he plugged in the next drive, and then the next. Once they were dune he put them back in place and reset the vent cover.

"At least this wasn't all pointless," Peter said making his way to the living room. As he leapt onto the ceiling he glanced at the garbage can and saw a slip of paper with something that looked like an address. He quickly dropped back down and picked the paper up. "Chinatown? What's at this address, Karen?"

After a moment Karen answered, "A medicinal shop."

Peter tossed the paper back in the trash and left, closing the window behind him before leaping off the building and swinging toward Chinatown.

He landed on the roof across from the Wu Ping Medicine shop and had Karen scan it, revealing a group of men in the back and a lone woman out front.

"Any suggestions?" he asked leaping to the building beside it and making his way around the back.

After a moment Karen suggested, "Call for support."

Peter crouched on the edge of a roof looking at the back door of the building. He could call Matt, but Peter wanted to prove himself and while Matt was a good fighter it wasn't like this was something Peter couldn't handle. He'd taken out almost a dozen guys days ago and there were only eight in there, bar the old woman at the counter. And he wasn't an Avenger anymore so he couldn't call for the others.

With a sigh, he told Karen, "You're all the support I need."

"Thank you, Peter," she said happily.

"Now let's go shut down a syndicate," Peter said firing a dozen web shots across the back door before swinging around to the front of the shop.

He landed at the door and stepped inside, the bell above the door ringing and making the woman look up, gasping in shock at the sight of him making his way to the counter. "H-How can I help you?"

"I'm here for the meeting," Peter said leaping over the counter, throwing open the door to the back room. "Hey boys. What'd I miss?"

Eight men all rose and turned to him. Peter saw Foswell in his mask and brimmed hat along with six others who moved toward him protectively, clearly his guys. It was the eighth man who made every hair on Peter's body stand on end as he pulled a purple mask over his scarred head and turned to Peter, his irises so pale they seemed white.

"Who are you?" Peter asked eyeing the purple masked man who wasn't much taller or more muscular than Peter.

"The Answer," he said before throwing his fist into Peter's chest.

The scoff Peter started turned to a groan as he was thrown through the door he came through and crashed through the front of the store, rolling across the street as a car screeched to a stop beside him. Peter gasped and sat up, staring at the store as Karen warned him, "Severe damage to front plates. Rearranging configuration."

The small panels of his armor slide around and reformed as Peter got to his feet asking, "What the hell was that? He hit harder than Banner."

He watched the Answer step through the broken doorway, his eyes seeming almost pure white against the shadows coating his mask before he stepped onto the street. When Peter shot a web to get some distance he fell as a pale violet bolt of energy cut through his web. He hit the ground and rolled, turning to see the Answer charging him.

"Fine, let's do this," Peter said firing two shots of web to either side of the street and yanking on them, sending him sliding straight between Answer's legs. As he passed he fired to more webs at his legs, yanking them so the Answer toppled over while Peter kipped up and swung Answer over his shoulder, crashing into the street hard enough to crack the asphalt.

Answer rolled over yanking the webs to tear them as he got back to his feet. This time when he dashed forward and punched at Peter it was barely half the speed of his first punch so Peter easily dodged it by flipping over him. As he passed Answer's head he threw out a punch which slammed into the man's jaw, making Answer stumble while Peter landed gracefully and fired two more webs, yanking him toward Peter while leaping forward, slamming his knee into the Answer's chest. The impact was enough to send Impact flying back, but Peter quickly grabbed the still attached webs and grunted as he spun, swinging him through the front of the medicine shop.

Releasing the webs, Peter let out a laugh. "You know, I actually feel better working out some of this anger. I bet-"

He was suddenly thrown to the side, crashing into a stopped car after a wall of violet energy slammed into him. Groaning, he rolled over and saw another wall of energy appear over him. His senses flared and he fired a web, pulling himself away as it came crashing down onto the car, squashing the engine.

Sliding down t he street, Peter saw the Answer stepping out of the store, his hands coated in violet energy. "Wanda?" he whispered before sensing another impact from his side. He quickly leapt up, but the wall shifted mid swing, clipping his foot so Peter tumbled through the air.

The moment he hit the ground Answer took a breath and all the light faded from his hands, instead it was his mouth which glowed through his mask, sending every sense in Peter's body into hyper drive.

His hands slammed into the ground and he spun, firing a web which pulled him away as a beam of violet energy tore through Answer's mask and pierced the ground. He moved his head to follow Peter as he swung away, the beam cutting through half the building. It lasted barely twenty seconds before Answer stopped and sucked in a deep breath, the beam having come from his exhaling.

When Answer took a quick breath and prepared to do it again he stumbled back as a ball of web hit his mouth, holding his jaw shut. "Your breath stinks, dude," Peter said swinging back toward him. "At least try some tic tacs."

Peter moved to kick him as the light faded from Answer's mouth and he moved with a sudden burst of speed to catch his ankle. For a moment Peter feared he would crush his leg, but despite him clearly putting effort into his grip it didn't hurt at all until he swiftly swung Peter around, throwing him into a lamp post which bent and crashed to the ground.

Sliding around to get back to his feet, Peter groaned. "Pick a power already, man. No need to hog them all."

He barely caught his balance before the guy was in front of him again, his punch coming in faster than the previous one. Peter moved enough so it hit his shoulder instead of his heart and was thankful for it when he was knocked back and heard his armor crack. Karen quickly rearranged the nanites to repair it, but it was quickly replaced by another as Answer punched him in the stomach, throwing him off his feet. As he came back down Answer slammed his fist into Peter's head so hard he wasn't sure if the crack he heard ringing in his ears was from the armor or his jaw.

Peter slammed into the ground and coughed as he rolled back onto his feet. It was only then he saw the ruined shop front, cut through the building across the street and cracks in the street. 'I'm ruining the city,' he thought with a gasp, getting to his feet and waving his hands to the few people gathering to watch around them. "GO! Get out of here!"

When Answer dashed at him, Peter was focused enough to flipped over him, pressing his hands into Answer's shoulders to push himself further than normal. When he landed, he felt a familiar sense of danger and spun around, throwing his fist as all four golden limbs exploded out of his back and strike around him. While answer managed to dodge his fist, the waldoes battered his head and shoulders. The punch hit Peter's shoulder again, snapping off bits of armor, but Peter turned his left arm to grab Answer's while his right flew up into his jaw, hitting his now bare chin.

Though Peter was sure he felt Answer's jaw snap on his fist punch, the second seemed to have little affect. Instead he felt Answer press down on his arm hard enough the armor cracked and snapped continuously as Karen sent more nanite to repair it. The waldoes which had previously made him flinch suddenly seemed to make no impact as Answer swung his left fist into Peter's stomach, shattering the armor their. Peter tried to move, to pull away, but his arm was trapped in the vice of Answer's right hand as his left began battering him, shattering chunks of armor that fell away as suddenly gaps began to appear as the nanites dwindled.

After admitting he couldn't break Answer's grip by force, Peter gave a quick, "Sorry," and then swung his leg as hard as he could between Answer's legs. The impact was enough to make the man gasp and release Peter as he turned to clutch his genitals while Peter flipped back and fired a web at a roof.

'I'll get some distance, work around and take out before he sees me,' Peter told himself as he swung toward the corner before being tackled out of it.

Answer held him as they soared through the street, stopping only when they slammed into a building, shattering two windows before they fell to the ground and bounced away from one another. Peter coughed and sighed at the copper taste of blood in his mouth as he got to his feet. However while he wasted no time charging Answer he noticed the purple masked man sway on his feet before shaking it off and narrowing his eyes eyes on Peter.

Just before he could throw his punch, Peter saw Answer's hands glow and leapt back as he raised them, causing a wall of violet energy to appear between them. He then thrust his hands out, sending the wall sliding down the street after Peter, who flipped to the side, seeing the wall fade once he dodged it. However he felt a flare of danger and flipped to the side again, seeing a bolt of violet energy shatter the ground where he'd been a split second earlier.

Peter flipped to dodge bolt after bolt before finally firing a web which let him swing toward the Answer. The man grinned, the glow leaving his hands to flood his mouth as he pulled the web off it. Peter swiftly fired another web at his mouth, but the beam pierced it and slammed into his chest with as much force as his first punch if not more. The impact mid swing cause Peter to go flying back half a block, bouncing off the roof of one car to the other before he slid off the side and hit the street.

"I don't know what I expected," Peter said with a laugh as he pushed himself back to his feet. "Karen?"

"Yes Peter?" she said, sounding slightly stressed.

"Are there any people still around?" He asked finally getting to his feet, using the car for leverage, his gaze locked on Answer striding toward him.

"The nearest person is thirty feet away."

"Building, right," Peter said with a laugh. "No one leaves their apartment in New York. Alright, just focus entirely on keeping my head covered as long as possible."

"But, Peter-"

"Just do it."

"As you wish," she said reluctantly.

He could feel his right arm completely bare while the armor on his left ended at his bicep, leaving only his web shooters on his wrists. "Karen. Instant kill."

His lenses narrowed, glowing red as his waldoe limbs arched behind him. Peter shot two webs at the buildings on either side of the street and launched himself at Answer, who laughed before catching his foot before it could hit, barely sliding back. However Peter's golden limbs shot out, piercing Answer's arms.

He swiftly dropped Peter and stumbled back, tearing his arms open as the waldoes were violently ripped from them. Peter quickly flipped onto his feet watching Answer scream in pain when suddenly the blood pouring from his arms slowed and the wounds began to close. "Come on," Peter groused, rolling his head before quickly firing a web at Answer's head and yanking it as hard as he could.

While Answer was unbalanced, Peter launched himself forward as hard as he could, spinning to throw his leg directly into his face. It hit with little impact, but Peter noticed his movement was once again slow, the impact of his punch on Peter's leg the weakest yet. The moment Peter touched asphalt he fired a web at Answer's limbs and flipped over his head, pulling them across each other while spinning to kick Answer's back, pinning him in place.

When he took both webs in hand and moved to fire another he suddenly felt a shift in tension before Answer swung both arms forward, snapping his webs and swinging around to slam his fist into Peter's chest, sending him flying back down the street again.

It was slamming into a building head first that stopped him, so as he lay on the floor he laughed at the allusion of a pretty Asian woman standing over him in white clothes holding a glowing white katana.

"Who knew angels looked so cool?" Peter said with a laugh.

Then the angel chuckled. "Sorry, I'm no angel. I'm an Iron Fist."

Peter blinked, remembering what Matt mentioning that. "You know Matt."

Colleen Wing tilted her head. "Huh" She turned toward Answer asking, "Need help?"

"Never turn away an angel," Peter said groaning as he got to his feet again, noticing that one of his waldoes retracted and chunks of his leg armor were missing. "I think I got him figured out."

"What's the plan?"

"Don't get hit unless you can take a punch from the Hulk," Peter said glancing at her. "And stick him with your sword. Then I'll web him up and we can run."

"That's your plan?" Colleen asked with a scoff, glancing at the Answer, who turned his walk toward them into a jog.

"For now," Peter said with a shrug before leaping forward.

Colleen dashed after him, watching as Answer's hands glowed and a wall of violet suddenly appeared in front of Spider-Man, slamming into him and throwing into a building. She was close enough to slash at him, but he suddenly dodged with incredible speed. He sidestepped her swings with ease, but where she'd seen him punch Spider-Man down the street when he landed a punch on her it was barely stronger than one of her students.

Answer dodged her counter hit, throwing up a violet wall of energy to block her follow up strike. She gasped seeing the wall hold up against her chi infused sword which had cut through steel like butter. She tried to keep up the pace, lashing out with strikes, thrusts and slashes in equal parts, but he too quick until suddenly web his his limbs and pinned them to his sides.

Peter slammed into Answer from behind, holding his shoulders as the last two spingle legs slammed down into his color only to shatter on impact, the broken remains slinking into the back pod.

The glow left Answer's hands and the wall faded as he smirked at Colleen until she slashed at him and her sword sliced into his chest. A victorious smirk took her lips as she swiftly backed away from the shocked Answer, who gasped as blood poured from his chest. Her blade glowing white, she moved to slash at his throat when her brow knit seeing his mouth glowing violet.

An explosion of webs went off, wrapping Answer in them as Peter grabbed Colleen and fired a web at a roof. She could feel the heat of the beam that shot from Answer's mouth as Peter pulled her away a split second before it would have pierced her head.

Colleen let out a panicked shriek before they hit the roof and Spider-Man launched himself off it, firing another web which took them two buildings down. He landed straight into a superhuman sprint, squeezing her tight before he jumped off the side and fired another web, this one letting them swing almost an entire block before he released it and awkwardly fired another with the same arm.

They were barely swinging a minute before he fired a web into an alley and they sank to flew toward the street. He landed and instantly slammed his hand into a metal door, which buckled and flew open, letting them rush inside. Peter quickly released her and before he closed it she saw a glimpse of the Answer flying over the alley, chasing them in the direction he thought they went.

"What the hell is that?" she asked.

"I have no idea," Peter said turning to her. "I'm hoping it will leave with me gone." Peter looked around and realized they were in the back of a restaurant. "Karen, are there alarms?"

"Karen?" Colleen asked in confusion.

"AI," he answered quickly, tapping his helmet.

"A silent alarm had called the police," Karen told him.

"Shit," Peter sighed, "cops are on there way here."

"I'd imagine," Colleen said with a laugh.

"I mean here for the alarm."

"I figured," she said with a nod, quickly sheathing her katana. "My place is nearby. We can hide out there."

Peter considered it but shook his head. "I need to make sure no one is hurt back there and it's gone. If not I can lead him somewhere else."

"Do you have to go like that," she asked motioning to his busted armor.

"It's this or my boxers," he said with a laugh.

"Fair enough. Let's hurry."

Peter held up a hand to stop her as she reached for the door, putting his hand on it and wincing as if the Answer would suddenly kick open the door, but nothing happened. They swung back to the destroyed street and saw no one was hurt and no sign of the Answer or Big Man's crew. Peter picked up all the bits of armor he could, which seemed to be absorbed by the other armor and transported to the pod on his back.

"Come on," Colleen said tapping his shoulder. "Better we're not here when the cops show up."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Steve Rogers walked into the common room of their HQ with a fresh cup of coffee that promptly crashed against the floor when he saw Peter getting punched and topple over on the television. Bruce, Wanda, Bucky and Sam were standing around it, their own breakfasts discarded as they watched Peter get back to his feet and tell people to get away while he flipped over the guy attacking him, launching himself in the opposite direction of the people to pull his attention.

"What is this?" Steve asked as Peter managed to grab the guy attacking him.

"Last night, some kind of…" Bucky winced seeing the two start to exchange blows, with the guy in the purple mask clearly getting the better it as bits of Peter's armor shattered and flew off.

It finally ended when Peter kicked him in the balls and all four of them gave a cheer. Then they saw Peter try to swing away only for the purple masked man to fly forward and tackle him out of the air.

Wanda gasped as after they crashed into a building the masked man started using energy constructs like hers. Her tension only grew when they watched Peter get hit by a beam from the man's mouth, which sent him skipping across the roofs of cars before the footage ended and the reporters appeared on screen.

"The incident is thought to have begun around midnight and last, minutes before Spider-Man and the Lady Samurai fled the scene, leading the attacker elsewhere, though neither have been seen since."

"Oh god," Wanda gasped. "He's okay, right?"

"I'm sure he is," Bruce said with a nod. "The kid's tough."

Wanda sank to the couch shaking her head. "It's my fault. I was his handler and I-"

"It's not you fault," Bruce said sinking into the couch and putting a hand on her shoulder. "You know you can't blame yourself for this."

Steve felt his eyes burn as he found he thought much the same. He had failed Tony's protege and now he was out there injured and feeling abandoned by them. His mind was overcome by 'ifs' until his phone rang and in an instant it was at his ear. "Rogers."

"Steve."

"Fury?" Steve said, causing the others to turn to him. "Do you know if he's okay?"

"What? Who?" asked Fury.

"Peter. It's on the news. He was… there was fight in Chinatown."

"I haven't seen anything. I've been busy all night. Someone robbed a shipment of ours last night."

"A shipment?"

Fury sighed saying, "Someone took the Ultimo robot."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

It was barely past Midnight when Peter entered the Chikara Dojo.

"You're the sensai here?" He asked looking around and taking the spare clothes she handed him. His armor left his arms bare while the panels on his legs were halved at the thigh down to his ankles.

"Colleen Wing," she said with a nod, going to place her sheathed sword on its rack.

He put his clothes on over his armor before extending his hand telling her, "Peter Parker."

She was shaking his hand when his armor retracted into the pod on his undershirt. Colleen gasped seeing not only how battered and bloody he was but how young he was. "You're a kid!"

"I'm almost seven," he said adjusting the hoodie she gave him. "Older if we count time gone."

"I ain't countin' it," she said with huff while making her way to the closet. "I can't believe Spider-Man is in high school."

"I'm gonna graduate early in a few weeks," he offered.

Pulling towels and a first aid kit she turned to him shaking her head. "That doesn't really change how weird it is."

"How is it weirder that I'm in high school and not that I can stick to walls and pick up trucks?"

"That's weird too," she assured, wetting one of the towels.

"Says the lady with the weird glowing white hand and sword."

"Hey," she said patting his head with the wet towel which swiftly turned red with his blood, "that's the angel with the weird glowing white hand and sword."

Peter snickered and winced. Colleen frowned, letting him take over holding the towel while she set the first aid kit on the table. "Can't you like, heal quick or something?"

"Not that quick," he said placing a hand on the kit before she could open it. "The cut will close completely in a few minutes and I'll be sore for a day or two but I'll be good by morning."

"You're gonna fight that thing again?" she asked taking the seat, watching him take the chair beside her and wipe his face before pressing it back over the cut despite it having stopped bleeding.

"Someone has to. Like I said, I'll be good to go by morning."

Colleen sighed and sat back in her chair crossing her arms. "Can't you just call the Avengers or something?"

Peter frowned. "I… I kinda quit them."

Shocked, she asked, "You quit the Avengers? Why?"

"Because they treated me the same as you did finding out I was seventeen."

"Almost seventeen," she corrected with a solemn, apologetic smile.

"It's fine. I just… I can handle stuff, you know. I don't need to be coddled anymore than anyone else. You think anyone else would've done much better against that guy back there?"

Colleen tilted her head saying, "Hulk could probably punch him into the sun or something, right?"

Peter chuckled and winced. "I'll give you that one."

With a sigh, Colleen leaned forward. "You can stay here tonight. I'll even take the couch."

His smile made it clear he was touched by the offer despite shaking his head. "No, I have to track them before anyone else gets hurt."

"I thought you said you'd be okay by morning."

"Well yeah that's when I'll start the fight," Peter said with a shrug. "Assuming they don't spot me and I actually find them, which I might not."

Though she clearly disliked the plan she nodded. "Alright. We can look for-"

"No," he said getting to his feet. "You rest. You already did more than enough."

"That's not how this works," she said standing. "You can't just ditch me."

"I'm not ditching you," he said shaking his head. "This is my fault. I can make it right on my own. I can't pay you back for helping me by putting you in more danger."

Colleen was practically grinning as she asked, "Are you coddling me?"

Peter drolly said, "You really fit that annoyingly right sensai stereotype."

"I'll take that as a compliment," she said with a smug nod.

"You're right," Peter admitted, "but that doesn't change things. I can get around quicker by swinging and I can't do that with you until my shoulder stops aching, and I need to go get my other suit."

"Fine," she relented. "Just promise me you'll be careful and call the Avengers or something."

"I'll be careful."

Colleen groaned at his selective answer. "Do you even have any idea how you're gonna fight him?"

"Oh, yeah, I thought of it on the way," he said with a laugh. "I told you I had him all figured out. It's how we got away."

"Because I cut him and you pinned him down?"

"Because he has a lot of powers but is limited in how many he can use," Peter told her. "It's why he was able to punch me down the street but you could take his hits while he was using speed and those energy constructs. He only ever really overlapped two abilities, so when I saw him using the beam after you cut him I knew we had our opening since he had to give up strength to heal."

"How the hell does that work?"

"No idea. When I asked who he was he just said the Answer and punched me out of the store. For all I know he's some alien who stowed away with Thanos or another enhanced person who just hit the jackpot when it came to powers."

Peter sighed, taking the towel from his head and setting it on the table. "I'm sorry about ruining this. I'll pay for a new one when I return the clothes."

Colleen got to her feet. "Just come back in one piece and don't do anything stupid."

"You got it, Iron Fist."

She groaned. "Just Colleen. I'm not Iron Fist."

"That's Danny Rand," Peter said with a nod. "You're more like the Ivory Fist."

"Ivory?" She chuckled then realized what he said and furrowed her brow. "How do you know Danny?"

Peter smirked. "Matt mentioned the name Rand in passing."

"I'm gonna kill him." she said shaking her head.

When he left, Colleen watched from her window before taking out her phone. "Hey Misty. I need Luke's number, or Matt's if you know it. A friend might need some help."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Peter left after thanking Colleen again, having the armor form around his chest and head as he spun through the city. It felt like forever since he did that in anything but his armor or suit.

When he landed on May's building he quickly retrieved his bag from the roof and went through his window, careful to hang from his right hand as he dropped down. Once he stripped off Colleen's spare clothes he took the pod off his undershirt and stuck it to the dock on his desk which quickly told him it couldn't complete repairs.

"I'll have to ask Pepper for a refill or something," he said with a sigh before digging his other suit out of the closet.

Once it formed to him and he secured triple his usual web cartridges, Peter hesitated to put on his mask and ended up leaving the room to knock on May's door.

"Peter?" she called out cautiously.

"It's me, May. Can I come in?"

"Of course," she said sitting up as he opened the door. It took a second for her eyes to adjust enough to the light, gasping when she saw his bruised face. "Oh my god, Peter! What happened?!"

"I just-it's probably gonna be on the news later and I don't want you worrying," he said sitting on the edge of her bed.

"I'll get the-"

"Someone already looked at it," he said telling himself it was only sort of a lie. Colleen did look at it. "I'll be fine, but I have to go back out and make sure the guy I fought doesn't hurt anyone else. I have to find wherever he is and I don't know when I'll be back and I didn't want you freaking out hearing about it on the news."

"Well I'm freaking out now," she said pulling him into a hug.

He chuckled, thankful she couldn't see him wince when she started patting his left shoulder. "But not as much as if I didn't tell you anything, right?"

"I guess," she admitted. "Who did this?"

"I don't know. He called himself the Answer but that was it. He had of powers."

"Are you gonna be okay?" she asked frowning as she looked at the scabbed over cut on his forehead.

"I already know how to beat him, now I just need to do it," he said with a shrug. "I just had to stop by to refill my web and switch suits and figured I'd tell you just in case."

"This isn't one of those 'I'm saying I love you in case I die' moments, is it?" she asked warily.

Peter snickered and shook his head. "No. I love you, but I'm not gonna die."

"I'll hold you to that," she said with a smile before sitting up to kiss his forehead.

May walked to his room with him, watching him crawl out the window and swing away before she let out a sigh and made her way to the kitchen. No point in pretending she wasn't going to be up all night until he came home.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

May spent her morning watching the news and checking her phone until the first alert appeared on her phone about the fight minutes before the news started showing footage from the scene. She knew Peter was okay after the fight, but it was still hard to watch him getting beaten up and thrown around alone until the woman in white appeared and helped him before they fled.

When the phone rang May brought it to her ear before the screen even showed who it was, "Peter?"

"You've seen it?" asked Pepper.

"Pep, oh god," May sighed. "Yeah. I'm watching it."

"Is he back there? Is he okay?"

"He was here after. He made sure to tell me so I wouldn't be worried when I saw it."

"Thank god," Pepper sighed in relief. "Is he okay?"

"He was pretty beat up but he went back out to make sure this guy didn't hurt anyone else."

"He went back after him?" Pepper gasped.

Before Pepper could answer, May heard a beep and glanced at her phone. "Here's Steve."

"Conference him," Pepper said quickly. "I'm pulling up Peter's suit trackers."

After a moment Steve joined the call. "May?"

"Morning, Steve," May said quickly, "we're conferenced with Pepper."

"I'm tracking Peter's suit info now."

"He's not there?" Steve asked May.

"He was last night to let me know what happened so I wouldn't worry, but he went back out after that in his old suit."

"Did he say anything about who the guy was?" asked Steve.

"He said he called himself the Answer, that's about it." Hearing Steve groan, May asked, "Don't beat yourself up. He wouldn't call for help unless he thought it was his last resort. He's always been like that."

"I'm not sure he'd call me even if he had to."

"Why?" May asked.

They could hear the hesitance before Steve answered, "We all confronted him about missing his training and the raids he was doing with the Daredevil and he… He quit the Avengers."

"Peter quit?" Both women asked in shock.

"He was upset because we didn't bring him against that Ultimo thing in China. He thought we looked down on him, didn't respect him."

May gaped at the screen showing Peter getting to his feet and waving people away before leaping over the Answer. "If he quit he'll never ask you for help."

"Well he won't have to ask," Steve assured her. "Once we find him we'll handle this thing together."

"His tracker has him at a dock in Queens. I'll send you the location."

"May, we'll get him back safe, I promise," Steve said before hanging up.

"I'll have my suit on standby too," said Pepper.

"The others will take care of it, I'm sure," May said more for her own sake. "You worry about Morgan. I don't want her getting too upset if she sees it."

Pepper said with a somber smile as she looked to her daughter sleeping with her arms around Pepper after crying herself out when they saw the news. "I'll try."

* * *

**AN:**

Originally had this go straight into the next chapter but felt it was going a bit long.

Only a few chapters before the end, so if you're reading the fic and enjoying it let me know what you're digging. Interaction definitely helps with motivation since it's hard to tell silence from indifference.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

Peter's break came from his social media account. Perhaps it was another special sense like his spidey one, or just being raised in a world of social media, but Peter easily saw through the usual trolls and insults as he looked through all the posts tagging him and found a few who mentioned seeing the guy he fought near a private dock in Queens. A quick search with Karen told him the dock was owned and run by a shell company, which pretty much screamed mob owners.

Though it was tougher to sneak in with the sun rising from the horizon, Peter managed to slip over the fence and onto the roofs without being seen. If there was ever any doubt this was the place that ended when he saw dozens of men patrolling the docks with bats, knife, pipes, chains and guns.

Crouched on the roof of an empty dock building, Peter briefly contemplated going around taking everyone out before moving in. "Karen, can we try to see where everyone is?"

The lenses shifted to reveal the outlines and heat signatures of everyone, which was when he cast his glance toward the largest building and shifted back seeing the massive heat signal coming from a giant crate with a handful of people around it.

"What the hell is that?" he whispered before looking toward the street where he saw people walking by as cars passed on their way to work. "Could it be some kind of bomb?"

"I can't tell from here," Karen answered.

"Then lets get closer," Peter said firing a web which carried him to the building, which he entered through a window on the roof.

He quietly sank down a web to the walkway above, taking a breath when he saw the giant, twenty six foot long crate. To his surprise the warehouse actually seemed cold, as if the crate were draining the heat rather than giving it off. His thoughts ended when he felt a flash of danger and quickly flipped back a second before a violet beam cut through the walkway.

When it closed off the Answer called out, "I can smell your fear, Spider-Man!"

"Of course he'd have super senses," Peter sighed, leaping off the walkway and firing a web as he turned, sending him swinging straight at the group below.

He saw Answer's mouth glowing so fired a web toward the wall to his right, pulling his swing aside as the beam fired to where he'd been. Just before it finally caught up with him, Peter released the web and fired one at the floor, slamming into it and firing another behind Answer which sent him sliding toward them. The beam cut through the building trying to follow Peter, but he slid between Answer's legs and rolled onto his stomach.

Once he was clear Peter thrust his hand into the ground and was up before Answer could turn around. When he started to he found Peter's fist crashing into his jaw, throwing his head straight where the beam shot tore through the crate, hitting the giant robot within. It suddenly felt like all the heat was drawn to the crate as the robot began to glow bright red where the beam was burning it.

Shots of web pinned Answer to the ground as Peter turned to kick the quartet that charged him. He sent them sliding away as Big Man went running for the doors. Peter fired a web at his back and yanked it, pulling Big Man off his feet so he slide on his back toward the men he kicked. Before he could say anything Answer had stopped his beam and gained strength enough to snap Peter's webs, turning to him with a grunt.

This time Peter was ready, easily flipping back over his punch and hand springing into another flip to escape his followup. In the corner of his eyes he saw Big Man throw open the doors, but rather than run he called for the guards, causing dozens of men to rush the building. Peter barely had time to mutter shit before he fired a web at the walkway and leapt up, avoiding a super humanly quick charge from Answer.

Peter landed on the bottom of the walkway, switching to rapid fire webs to unleash a barrage of them on the incoming thugs. That was when he felt a familiar spidey sense and leapt to the side, dodging a violet bolt which smashed through the walkway. When he fell to the ground, Peter swiftly fired a web at Answer, whose reached a glowing hand out to grab the web as it hit his chest only for electricity to run through it, tasing him.

When Answer broke the web thread, Peter dashed toward him, sidestepping bolts of energy he threw before leaping up. He intended to to leap over Answer but had ignored that he'd only thrown bolts with his right hand. His left was behind him forming a violet wall which he swung into Peter, knocking him out of his jump. The moment he his the ground another wall formed by his right hand pushed him up, throwing him over Answer.

Peter tried to twist himself so he landed on his feet but Answer turned and swung his fist at him, forcing Peter to throw up his arms to take the impact. He flew back, crashing through a window beside the hanger doors.

Peter fired a web to a light pole to stop him from hitting the fence. Getting to his feet he saw the gang all rushing toward him and shook off his hands as he took a breath and dashed forward to meet them. "Grenade," he told Karen, who switched his shooter so he fired a small ball of web which slammed into one of the thugs before exploding, sending out strands which pulled seven others toward him, making a single clump of thugs which was hit a moment later by another thread which suddenly ignited with electricity that made them all scream.

He could hear people gathering at the fence, people getting out their phones and gawking as they filmed him charging straight into the fray. He hit the speared a thug, tackling them to the ground and rolling straight into an uppercut, firing a web at the launched thug and using his body to swing into the others, giving him some distance. He finally fired a ball of web which hit the swung thug, exploding as Peter flipped back, avoiding the strands of web that shot out and pulled four others to him.

He landed and turned to catch the hand of one thug, twisting his wrist to make him drop his knife, which Peter kicked back away from the fight while firing another web to pull the gun from one guy's hand, a second web sticking the gun to a light pole. In the some moment he had thrown the man whose punch he caught into another, then fired a web into his chest and pulled him as Peter dashed forward, slamming his knee into the thug's jaw and leaving him unconscious on the floor.

Peter swiftly kicked the unconscious man so he slid a few feet away while turning and throwing up his arm as a bat swung into it and shattered against his forearm. His left hook slammed into the jaw of the thug who hit him, knocking him back while another two pushed forward with long pipes that slammed into Peter's sides while another came up behind him, swinging a wooden bat into the back of his head.

Hissing, Peter spun around to yank the bat from the thug's hand and snap it in half, throwing both as he continued his spin. They hit the head of two thugs while Peter stepped forward to miss another swing from the pipers, then flipped back, grabbing their heads and forcing them to the ground. After both pipers headbutted the floor, Peter swiftly rolled to the side, dodging a bullet before yanking the gun away with a web shot.

His next web shot was meant to carry him to another guy further in the line, but he felt his senses flare and gasped seeing Answer striding toward him. He fired a web behind him to get away but flew straight into the men who had circled around him. While he slammed into one and they toppled to the ground five others rushed over to lay into Peter with bats and pipes while a sixth swung a chain into his back again and again.

"GET UP!" He heard someone yell from the fence.

"You can do it, Spidey!"

Amid his flinches, Peter took a breath and grit his teeth before thrusting his hands into the ground and throwing himself to his feet. He swiftly threw his arm up to snap a bat before snatching a pipe he threw hard enough to fly across the docks while Peter's hand closed to a fist and slammed into the chest of a thug who crumbled clutching his broken collar. He sidestepped a swinging pipe from behind and threw his elbow back, crunching the nose of the thug who them toppled over when Peter spun, throwing an elbow into the side of his head before firing a web into another and pulling them toward Peter as he flipped, kicking them square in the jaw hard enough to make the thug back flip.

He felt another flush of danger and turned, firing a web only for Answer to leap into the air and slam his fist into him, throwing him back to the ground. The crowd at the fence gasped watching the man floating in the air, looking down on Spider-Man with his grin visible thanks to the torn mouth of his mask.

"He told me about you," Answer said suddenly. "He told me people fear you. That you were a risk to everything they wanted, but the truth is you're just an idiot who doesn't know when to stay down."

Peter exhaled as he got to his feet, looking from the gang reviving heir unconscious comrades and freeing their trapped ones to the Answer above them all. "At least you know I won't stay down!"

"Then you'll be put down, Spider-Man," Answer said with a laugh, motioning to the men below him. "You can't even defeat me, how can you expect to survive us all alone"

"He ain't alone," said a tall black man with a shaved head and goatee taking off his mustard yellow suit jacket as he came to stand beside Spider-Man.

Peter gasped, even his lenses widening in surprise. "Luke Cage?"

Answer's pale eyes widened as he saw the Asian woman in the white hooded jumpsuit walk to Spider-Man's side, her right hand glowing white. To her left was the Daredevil in his scarlet tactical gear and horned helm pulling the billy clubs from his thigh.

"What are you doing here?" Peter asked them.

Colleen drew her katana with a smirk as she said, "Making sure you return the clothes you borrowed."

"Team-up. Cool." Peter said with an approving nod before firing web at a pair of light poles and taking a step back before launching himself while exclaiming, "Let's go!"

Spider-Man spiraled through the air, slingshoting himself toward Answer while Luke Cage, Daredevil and Colleen Wing charged the gang below them. The moment Peter slammed into Answer he threw his fist into his jaw, barely making him flinch.

'Flight and durability,' he thought before firing a web toward the warehouse and kicking off Answer, who spun around and soared after him.

Peter swung through the hanger doors, landing on the wall above the door and dropping down when the Answer flew through them. His feet slammed into the man's back, throwing him off course as Peter flipped off him, watching Answer crash into the giant crate and skip across it while Peter landed safely in a crouch.

The Defenders were handling he gang easily, Matt disarming and battering people with his billy clubs and punches while Colleen slashed through them, leaving people screaming and bleeding but only removing a single limb when one of the thugs aimed a gun at Matt while Luke was busy punching through the ones who tried to shoot at him. As usual Luke spent most of the fight nonchalantly pulling weapons from people, sighing as his suit was cut and shot full of holes.

Answer let out a frustrated yell, pushing off the crate to stand on it as his mouth ignited, his pale eyes locked on Spider-Man. His angry roar was cut off by the blast firing out of his mouth, but at the same moment a web hit his head and Peter yanked down, forcing Answer to fall forward, firing his blast directly into the crate.

That was when Peter felt his spidey-sense explode, every cell in his body telling him to get away, so he leapt back as hard as he could barely a second before the crate exploded. Bits of shrapnel stuck through the warehouse walls as Peter rolled through the air, hitting the ground crouching again as the gang, Defenders and crowd all turned to watch as the giant robot they'd seen the Avengers defeat days earlier rose off the ground. The vibrant glow of its heated chest faded as its eyes ignited and it strode forward, crashing through the front of the warehouse.

Most of the crowd fled but Peter wasted no time firing web grenades at its eyes which exploded and covered the sockets completely. The moment they exploded he switched to his normal shooters and fired a web which pulled him toward it's head, landing on its shoulders and throwing his arm back as he put all he could into his punch only to hear the robot's head ding without leaving a dent.

His spidey-sense flared and Peter swiftly flipped back as a violet beam fired toward where he'd been. The giant turned toward hi,, the beam turning its cheek crimson before it faded and the Answer came dashing out of the crumbling warehouse.

Peter landed on the floor and fired a web at the giant's arm before another aimed at a pole pulled him around the giant. He fired another web that carried him around Ultimo, wrapping it's arm once. Before he could make a second pass Answer leapt toward him, throwing his fist into Peter's chest with superhuman sped and strength, sending Peter flying back toward the gang.

While some of them fled the moment Ultimo woke the others were either too loyal to leave or were hungry for the glory of beating Daredevil, Luke Cage or the Ivory Fist. Peter nearly collided with a group of them until Luke slammed into them, throwing them aside as he turned to catch Peter.

"Thanks, Mr. Cage," Peter said getting back to his feet.

"Need help?" he asked with a smirk, realizing they were right about him being a kid.

"Think you can stop the robot long enough for me to try and stop Answer? Maybe get it on it's back?"

Luke shrugged. "Might as well try."

Both charged forward, Peter sliding under a punch from Answer, rolling and getting to his feet swinging when he he appeared beside him. Luke doubted he was stronger than the Hulk, who he'd seen batter this robot without making a dent, so instead he grabbed it's leg and started squeezing. His face scrunched as he pressed his arms into the metal but it didn't stop it, the robot lifting him off the ground as it strode forward, pulling the web off its eyes.

"Shit," Peter said seeing the mass of web fall to the floor. He had flipped back to dodge a punch when he fired a web shot at the robot's head and was pulled away from Answer yelling, "Luke! Focus on the gang!"

His shooters shifted to Grenade again as Peter landed on the head, bouncing off it and spinning to fire the grenades at its eyes once again. Another web at it's chest turned his plummet into a swing back toward Answer who was chasing after them when Peter called out, "Colleen! Slice it's heel!"

Having just kicked a thug in the face, Colleen turned and sprinted toward Ultimo as Luke released it and took a breath. Before he could say anything she swing her sword, and to his shock it cut through the steel of its heel. Her victorious grin was short lived as she saw the metal glow red as the gap was filled with liquid steel which quickly solidified.

"What the-"

She was cut off by Luke pushing her aside, taking the brunt of the heel kick Ultimo threw at them. While it didn't shatter Luke's body on impact like it might have Colleen, it did send him flying toward the warehouse. He made it a few feet from the door before a web caught his back through his torn open shirt and pulled him away from the warehouse.

In his effort to catch Luke and send him back toward the others, Answer saw an opening to rush in and slam his fist into Peter's stomach, throwing him into the light on a pole which shattered, raining glass over him as Peter hit the ground.

Glancing up and seeing Answer rushing him, Peter fired a web at Ultimo again, letting it pull him across the ground for a moment before he kicked off it and glided toward the robot. Seeing it had once again torn the web from its eyes, Peter let out a barrage of web grenades which covered its face, but the second of clarity was enough for Ultimo to slam its hand into Peter. The web line snapped as Peter was sent spinning through the air, crashing against the gate separating the dock from the street.

"Pete," Matt gasped, slamming both billy clubs into the head of a thug, clearing a path for him to run to Peter's side. Luke Cage had barreled through four men while Colleen followed right behind him, falling to her knees beside Peter who pushed off the ground with a groan as he sat on his knees.

"You okay?" Colleen asked holding his shoulder.

Peter shook his head, sucking in breaths. "Doesn't matter. We need to stop it."

"Any idea how we're gonna do that?" Matt asked with a smirk as he put a hand on Peter's shoulder.

Peter had plenty. If they fought the Answer they could easily force him to leave himself open, but that would leave either the robot free to continue it's path into the city or leave the gang to overwhelm them and pull their attention from Answer or the robot. They could focus on the robot, try to pick it apart while Peter tried to focus on Answer and the gang, but if he wasn't there to block up the eyes he wasn't sure they could survive its blast and he'd seen it repair itself from Colleen's cut, which meant they've have to be constantly making openings for her. He couldn't let the gang members distract them, and the only thing that let him avoid so many of Answer's attacks was Peter giving all his attention to him.

"Take the gang," he told them getting to his feet. "I'll take the robot and Answer."

"Alone?" Luke asked shaking his head.

"Not alone," said Wanda Maximoff as she landed in front of them, her green eyes sparking with scarlet energy like her fingers.

"We got you," Falcon said as he landed beside her, his wings panted bright red and white while his suit had splashed of blue around the white star on his chest matching that of the shield he pulled from his back.

Then they heard the roar of repulsors as War Machine hovered above them as amber circles cut through the air in to their side. The Defenders gasped watching Black Panther stride out of the portal while Ant-Man and the Wasp quickly followed from another, Wasp floating beside them as Winter Soldier stepped through the third followed by Hulk.

Doctor Strange levitated through the forth portal before they all snapped closed and he smirked at Peter. "Sorry to interrupt."

Peter chuckled as the Defenders gawked at the Avengers gathered in front of them. He was thankful his mask was still in tact so they couldn't see the tears burning his eyes as he saw them all glance back at him, smirking and giving him nods. "Well, I can can forgive it this once," he said with a smirk, hearing T'Challa snicker as he shook his head.

The gang all took a step back as the Avengers turned their attention on them, though the Answer sneered while Ultimo ripped the web from its eyes, blinking to sever the threads stuck inside its sockets.

"What's the play here, General?" Sam asked with a glance to Rhodey.

Before he could answer Peter said firmly, "Hulk and War Machine keep the robot busy enough for Ivory Fist here to get in close and cut it open so Ant-Man and Wasp and get in to wreck it again. Luke, Winter Soldier, Black Panther, Daredevil, and Captain Falcon keep the gang off us. Scarlet Witch and Doctor Strange covers the gang and robot while I deal with the Answer."

The others all blinked as Peter suddenly sprinted forward, firing a final web grenade at Ultimo before ejecting his web cartridge and replacing it while leaping toward the gang, firing a web at a lamp post to carry him swinging toward Answer. Rhodey laughed, the panel of his helmet coming down as he said, "You heard him!"

War Machine flew toward Ultimo and Hulk roared as the Avengers and Defenders charged forward.

The gang members who didn't flee at the sight of the Avengers charging them were quickly overwhelmed. Sam lead the charge, knocking aside half a dozen of them before throwing the shield, which was guided by the sensor on his goggles and pulled back to his wrist , attaching itself automatically to the bracer he wore as he leapt into the air to swoop down and kick a pair fighting Daredevil.

Ultimo swung its fist into Hulk's, the impact shaking the air as Colleen slipped behind it with Scott and Hope, who watched her slash through Ultimo's leg. Hope grabbed Scott's hand as both shrank down, flying him into the gap before it closed itself off again. With her part done Colleen quickly backed away as a portal appeared behind her, letting her appear on the other side of the gang far from Ultimo's foot as he kicked at her.

The Answer swiftly dodged Peter's swinging kick, releasing his web to spin and hit the ground crouching so he could launch himself at the Answer. Peter knew if he could win if he could just dictate what powers Answer had to use, giving Peter openings to press his advantages and force him to make a mistake.

"Hey you said you're the Answer, right?" Peter began while turning his missed punch into a cartwheel handspring he used to dodge a counter strike. "What's the question? Is it something complex like the meaning of life, or simple like who's going to get knocked out by the incredibly handsome Spider-Man?"

"It's who's gonna kill Spider-Man," Answer yelled swinging at Peter, but who jumped and rolled over his arm.

"You sure it's not who's hungry? Who farted? Who's on first? Something like that?"

Answer let out a growl as he suddenly moved with a burst of superhuman speed and slammed his fist into Peter's side. While he hissed and was sent flying, Peter grit his teeth and fired a web at the ground which sent him flying straight back at Answer. He dropped the web and flipped up as if to dodge over Answer, but then fired another web at the ground, pulling him back down where he punched Answer square in the jaw, hearing the bone shatter against his fist as Answer stumbled back.

The moment he hit the ground, Peter dashed forward and swung at the Answer again, keeping up the pressure with a barrage of strikes while flipping around him, smacking his head and punching his blind spots, forcing Answer to push durability as he healed his jaw. He barely noticed Peter placing the strands of web across his body until he tried to turn and found he was stuck in place.

Just as Peter went to launch grenades at him, answer broke out of the webs with super strength, his jaw having reassembled and reset itself. He was a quicker healer than Peter anticipated. Just as Answer came at Peter with another unnervingly swift punch that sent him to the ground he heard Rhodey call out over their comms, "Ultimo's gonna fire!"

With a shift of his web shooters Peter turned and fired a grenade at Ultimo's head, but it turned its head so the grenade exploded against the side of it, leaving its eyes uncovered. Ultimo turned its glowing gaze on Peter, who felt the hairs on his body standing on end.

However before he could move he remembered how devastatingly powerful the blast was, having knocked Sam and Bucky back through the vibranium shield. With that Peter put his web shooter to his chest and fired a grenade which swiftly exploded, attaching him to Answer.

Answer tried to get away but Peter grabbed him, sticking his feet to the floor and holding him in place. "What are you-"

Answer never got to ask his question as Ultimo's blast hit them, Peter turning at the last second so Answer took the brunt of the hit. Both were sent soaring toward the ruined warehouse, the web holding them together incinerated along with patches of their clothes while a crater was left where they had been standing.

"Peter!" Half the others gasped while a few yelled, "Spidey!"

He and Answer hit the ground rolling, but Peter put a hand on the ground to stop him, letting him throw his legs up, spinning around as he kipped up. The lower left side of his mask was missing, leaving the edge of his mouth exposed as he suck in a breaths and ripped the half sleeve hanging off his left arm before firing a web at the Answer, who lay on the ground groaning in pain.

With a single yank of the web Spider-Man pulled the Answer off the ground and dashed forward, his lenses narrowing as he threw his arm back, seeming to slide before suddenly sticking to place and throwing his arm forward. Answer managed to throw his arms up over his chest to take the brunt of the hit which shook his body, launching him back, crashing through the side of the warehouse until he his a stack of crates which toppled over and crashed to the ground.

Peter fired another pair of webs, launching himself through the hole Answer made, spiraling through it like a bullet before he crashed into Answer on the crates and slammed his fist into him. The answer kept twitching with burst of speed as he tried to keep up and block Peter's barrage, but every time he tried he had to drop his durability which let Peter's blows crush bone, or drop his healing which was the only thing dampening his agonizing pain.

"Sweet Christmas," Luke said watching Peter grab Answer and throw him into the air only to fire a web at him, and pull him back into a punch that sent him flying back in the air.

Peter fired a web at a lamp post which pulled him up and let him swing straight into Answer, his feet digging into the masked man's stomach, throwing him across the dock. When answer crashed to the ground he grit his teeth and suddenly his hands began to glow with purple energy as he got to his knees and fired a violet bolt at Peter, who shot another web to swing toward him. The bolts soared through the air only to crash into a wall of scarlet energy that evaporated as Peter passed through it, flipping at the end of his web's arc and rolled right in front of Answer where he rose and hit him with an uppercut that launched the Answer off the ground, making him flip back and hit the ground unconscious.

"Problem," Scott suddenly said in their comms, "this thing thing has a ton of microbots in here to defend itself now. The few lines we cut were repaired right away."

"Doc," Peter said turning to see Rhodey dodging a blast from Ultimo's eyes. "Fry it."

"What?" Strange asked stopping his barrage of mystic blast to glance at Peter, frowning when he saw the boy with chunks of his suit torn or burnt away revealing patches of bruises and streaks of blood.

"Scott, Hope, you need to get out of there now," Peter said firing webs to pin the downed gangsters while the last few who didn't flee struggled against the others. "If you need an exit I'll help Colleen cut one open for you, but you have to get out so Doc can pull a Thor and short circuit it."

Wanda landed beside Peter, grabbing his shoulder. "The others can handle it, Peter."

"It's my fault," he said shaking his head. "I have to make it right."

"No, you don't," she said grabbing his arm to keep him from going to help them pick off the last gangsters.

"Wanda keep him away," Rhodey ordered, unloading his wrist guns into Ultimo. "Scott and Hope, let us know when you're out so Strange and make his spark."

"No, no," he said yanking himself free of Wanda's grip. "I have to-I have to-"

"Peter," Wanda said frowning at the storm of emotions swirling within him, "think about May and Morgan."

That broke through Peter's daze enough to make him blink. "What? Wha-where-what?"

"We're out," Hope said a second before she and Scott returned to their full size with her dropping him a few meters from Ultimo.

"Everyone back," Rhodey ordered as he pulled away from Ultimo.

Strange waved his arms, crafting glowing glyphs in the air as the sky darkened and clouds swelled with unshed rain before a bolt of sapphire lightning crashed into Ultimo. The glow left the robot's eyes as it went still mid step before toppling over, crashing through the fence so its head cracked the street beyond it. The thunder shook the air, making Peter wince and groan, holding his aching head.

A split second later the rain fell, soaking them and the street. Noting how it felt great against his skin, Peter turned his gaze on the downed robot. "It woke up from the heat." Wanda held up her hands in preparation as she followed Peter, who took a swaying step toward Ultimo while telling them, "It was pulling in heat from the warehouse, but then Answer's heat breath beam thing woke it up. We-we need to keep it cool."

A few of the Avengers exchanged sheepish looks while Rhodey sighed. "We should've realized."

"Peter," Wanda said glancing at Doctor Strange, who landed beside him as she placed a hand on Peter's shoulder, "are you okay?"

He turned to her and took a breath. "Tony's gonna be pissed about my suit." His pain was audible to all who heard him, clearly on the brink of tears as he took a step and grunted, putting the weight off his left leg.

Strange frowned, waving his hand to create a circular space that shifted like shards of broken glass obscuring Peter's face as Stephen reached for his mask. "Let me check you over, Peter."

"Did I ruin everything for you too, Doc?" He asked as Strange peeled his mask off his face. "Doctor Palmer seemed nice. I'm sorry. I screw everything up."

Strange matched Peter's frown before tugging on his eyelids. "Do you remember getting hit by the blast?"

"Would you not remember that?" Peter asked with a laugh, wincing when Wanda tried to rub his left shoulder.

"Sorry, sorry," she said pulling her hand away and seeing it was stained red by the blood seeping through his suit.

"Any dizziness or nausea? Ringing in the ears?"

"I don't get dizzy. I could vomit though, but I might just be hungry."

Strange sighed, wiping some blood from the reopened cut on his forehead before pulling the mask back over his face. Stepping back he proclaimed, "Well he's likely got a mild concussion at least."

Rhodey landed beside them and sighed as his face plate raised. "Come on, Parker, let's get you to the HQ and checked out."

"At least I'm not in my boxers," Peter said raising his arm, but Rhodey pulled it down before he could fire a web.

"You're not swinging while concussed," Rhodey said looking to Strange, who nodded as he moved to start making the portals. Turning to the others, Rhodey looked to Luke, Colleen and Matt, who wore clear concern for Peter as Bruce came up to place a hand on his back, letting Peter lean against him. "All of us owe you three thanks for helping him before we got here."

Matt shook his head. "He's a good kid."

"Any chance you can come with and fill us in on what happened?" asked Rhodey.

"You asking us to join you?" Luke asked with a smirk.

Rhodey chuckled and motioned for them to head into the portal after Bruce, Wanda and Peter. "Not yet."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

May was waiting outside her apartment when Happy pulled up.. Before he could get out to open the door for her she was opening the passenger side door and getting into the seat.

"Hi, Miss May," Morgan said softly from the back seat, leaning against Pepper.

"Hi, Sweetie. How are you doing?" she asked buckling her seat belt while Happy started driving.

"Mm," she said before asking, "Is Peter really okay?"

"That's what the Avengers told me," she said with a shaky smile. While that was true she'd also seen some of the footage from the news of Peter fighting off dozens of people, including the Answer and then the giant robot the Avengers fought days earlier. Steve told her Peter was stable but would take a while to get back to one hundred percent.

Happy drove them into a secure garage and they made their way inside where Steve greeted them and led them toward the medical floor. "He's resting, but doing well," Steve told them as they entered the elevator. "Strange spent the whole time looking over Doctor Lane's shoulder to check her work and Bruce is helping them figure out if they have to prescribe anything and how it might effect his enhanced biology."

Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson were sat outside the door to Peter's room, which May entered after Steve made sure they were done. Inside May saw not only Strange, Banner and the on-site doctor Mallory Lane but Wanda, who stood grimacing in the corner with her arms crossed. When May smiled to the young woman she saw a flash of guilt color her features before Wanda turned her head but didn't move to leave. It seemed like she hadn't moved from that spot for some time and only did when Steve motioned for her to follow him out so Peter's family could have the room.

Entering the room she saw it wasn't a few scratches. He was dressed in a paper gown with spots of blood seeping through the chest. Beside his bed lay the torn and singed suit Tony first gave him. The left side of his face was red and raw where it wasn't black and blue. Most of the blood had been wiped away but a few spots had escaped the dyed red towel.

May gasped, rushing over to his side but when she reached for his hand she stopped herself seeing his limbs matched his face. She moved to his right side which was only a bit red where he took the biggest hits and carefully took his hand in hers as Pepper entered with Happy and Morgan, who gasped and tightened her hold on her mother seeing Peter laying on the bed.

"You did good, honey," May said brushing hair from his brow, which she saw flinch slightly as his eyes shifted wildly. "Just rest and get better. Everything will be okay, I promise. We'll be okay."

Pepper frowned as she thought of her own words to Tony as he died, assuring him they would be safe so he could finally rest. She sniffed and tightened her grip on Morgan, kissing her daughters forehead.

"How long until he's awake?" May asked the doctors.

"He's not on anything," Doctor Lane told them. "You can wake him. He was just sleep deprived and exhausted. He was out a couple minutes after we put him on the bed."

"Are you sure? Isn't he-"

Peter's eyes snapped open and he sat up in a panic, looking around the room. "Wh-where…" His brow knit as he looked around the room. "May? What… Hey, Happy. Pepper." His face brightened when he saw Morgan, smiling as if half his face wasn't battered and bruised. "Hey, Motormouth. What are you doing here?"

"Are you really alive?" Morgan asked warily.

"And kicking," Peter said waving his leg a bit. "I guess we were on the news, huh?"

Pepper nodded as she stood beside May. "They've been talking about Spider-Man all morning."

Peter nodded. "Sorry about that. I guess I should've called you guys too."

"It would've been nice," Pepper said with a smile, "but at least you didn't call me Miss Potts."

Peter sheepishly nodded before turning his attention to Morgan and poking her cheek. "I'm sorry I made you worry, Mo."

Morgan shook her head and sniffed. "As long as you're okay."

She leaned over to hug him, so Pepper set her down on the edge of the bed as Peter sat up, ignoring the concern looks of the doctors and slight pain when Morgan wrapped her arms around him. He hugged her with his right, leaving the left at his side rather than risk getting blood on her.

May looked at him and once again wished he didn't live such a dangerous life. She wished he could go to school, meet a nice girl, get married and live a peaceful life surrounded by people he loved, but she knew he wouldn't give it up just because he was bruised or hurt. "When can he leave?"

"You can take him home," said Bruce. "We've got crutches if he needs them, but he walked here on his own so I think he'll be fine without."

Smiling, May said, "I mean when can he go back out as Spider-Man?"

The doctors all exchanged glances before Doctor Lane said, "Given what we know of his physiology I'd guess he should be field ready in a day. Maybe less. He's bruised, but his bones aren't broken and the cuts are superficial."

"I guess it's back to long johns," Peter said motioning to the torn suit. "Unless there's some way to replace all the broken nanites for my armor?"

Happy and Pepper exchanged a look before Pepper sighed and told him, "In Tony's private lab at Stark Tower there's a pod he built specifically to make suits for you."

"Really?" Peter said with relief. He would've swung around in his boxers with a bag over his head if he had to.

"We can show it to you later if May says it's okay," Pepper said with a nod to May, who smiled thankfully. "For now just rest and let the doctors make sure you're okay."

Doctor Lane did a few quick checkups after Morgan went back to Pepper, watching Peter move his limbs, which seemed to hurt less than they had before he passed out. He was getting back on the table when a knock at the door drew their attention to the door where Rhodey stood with Colleen, Luke and Matt.

"How's he doing?" Rhodey asked as they entered.

"I'm guessing no one would believe me if I said better than ever."

"No," most of the room answered, making Peter nod.

"Fair enough," he said with a sigh before turning his attention to Colleen. "I guess I'll be returning those clothes after all."

Colleen snickered. "That's all I wanted."

"Thanks for being there," he said sincerely, then look to Matt and Luke. "You too. I'm sorry I didn't bring you in sooner."

"I figured you wouldn't," Matt said with a shrug. "I could tell it was important to you. I'm just sorry Big Man wasn't there when we showed up."

"He must've slipped away," Peter said deciding not to mention that he knew who he was.

"You did well out there," Rhodey said crossing his arms as he looked Peter over. "Your plan was solid, though you clearly over estimated yourself or underestimated that Answer guy."

Peter frowned, ignoring that to ask, "What happened to him? Did they figure out who he is?"

"He's on his way to the Raft. His name's Aaron Nicholson. He was a hitman for Wilson Fisk," Rhodey said, noting how Matt tensed at the mention of Fisk. "We know they didn't disappear in the Decimation and we think Nicholson was helping Fisk, taking orders from prison. At least until he disappeared over a year ago, I guess for whatever the hell happened to his face and gave him his powers, but he won't talk."

"Was he working with Big Man?" asked Matt.

Nodding, Peter decided to tell them a version of the truth. "I… spoke to some people who told me his buddy drove Big Man to the shop in Chinatown and when I went inside he was meeting with the Answer. Nicholson. After that, well… That was last night. After Colleen helped me get away I spent the night trying to track him but then I saw some people online mentioned seeing him near the dock. Turns out not everyone online is a troll."

As Peter sat up to shake hands with the Defenders while saying their farewells he saw a glimpse of a red jacket and russet hair outside his door. The doctors left with them, but Peter looked to the others asking, "Could I have a minute, please?"

"Of course," May said squeezing his good shoulder. "Why don't we get you something to eat? I'm sure you must be starving."

"It would help," he said with a nod, watching them all leave to give him a moment to himself. He sat with his head tilted slightly, straining his ears to pick up the sounds of their footsteps as Sam showed them the cafeteria. After that he called out, "Wanda?"

He could see her shoulder tense before she turned, standing in the doorway with her arms cross. "Yes?" She asked with a frown that grew when he nudged his head for her to come into the room. "What is it?"

"You tell me," he said with a sheepish smile. "I kind of feel like you're pissed at me. Is everyone mad?"

"Mad?" Wanda's brow rose and she scoffed. "Peter we're worried. You went off on your own and fought someone who-" she stopped herself and took a breath, pulling the emotion from her voice as she continued, "It was like watching all us hurt you. That person, he could do things like me, hit like Bruce, fly like Rhodey or Sam, make that beam like-like Vis…"

"I'm sorry about that."

Wanda searched his face and frowned seeing her was apologizing for the reminder of Vision. "It wasn't hard to watch because it was a reminder, Peter. It was like seeing how much we hurt you made physical." She sighed, glancing at the door before moving closer and taking the chair beside his bed. "Back before we first met-"

"The fight in Berlin?"

Snickering, she continued, "Tony had Vision keep me in the facility. It felt like I was back in a cell to be observed. It felt like I was being treated like a child instead of their equal. Even Vis agreed to it. The one who got me out, who valued me abilities, was Clint."

Watching him nod, Wanda saw he still didn't quite grasp her point, so sighed and sat up. "I agreed with Steve to not bring you to fight Ultimo. I didn't even hesitate to say yes, and with that I didn't just fail you but myself. I failed as your handler by letting you feel looked down upon and undervalued. I failed as your friend by not seeing how you felt sooner. I failed myself by doing what Clint did for me. I just accepted it like… I was Vis."

She wasn't surprised to see him frown, but was shocked when he said, "I'm sorry for making you think that way about him. I know Vis was…" Peter glanced to the side. "The way he spoke about you sometimes, it was obvious he cared about you. I'm sure he only did that because he loved you."

Wanda smiled, not just at his sheepishness but that he cared about her view of Vis. "I'm sure he did, but… him being dead doesn't change what he did, and I didn't love him less for it then and I don't love him less for it now."

Peter met her somber gaze and smiled understandingly. "Then I'm sorry I made you feel like you failed. I never felt like you did."

"I'm glad. Whatever happens I'll try to be a better friend next time."

His face brightened as he smiled, glad to have a friend again. "I'd like that."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The doctors kept Peter for a few hours until they were sure he would be okay. Thankfully someone got him some clothes so when he went to shower he could change into fresh clothes rather than the boxers he'd been wearing almost thirty hours and his half burnt spidey suit.

When he came out of the locker room in his fresh clothes, Peter found Bucky waiting for him. "We gotta talk," he said waving a hand as he started walking.

He lead Peter to a conference room where the Avengers who lived at the HQ were waiting for them. Peter took the seat opposite Steve and looked around the room. Steve had opened his mouth to speak when Peter said, "I'm sorry."

As the others looked on in confusion and surprise, Steve carefully asked, "What for?"

Peter sighed and shrugged. "I should've called you guys for help."

"Why didn't you?" asked Sam.

"I wanted to know I could handle it on my own." Peter crossed his arms saying, "I could've if it was just Answer."

That earned a few snickers from the others, though Steve nodded. "Maybe, but we're sorry as well. I'm sorry."

Peter's brow rose. As surprised as he was to have Captain America apologize to him, Peter couldn't help but lean forward, his elbows resting on the table as he asked with a smug smile. "What for?"

Steve sighed and gave him a placating nod before saying sincerely, "We shouldn't have dismissed the idea of including you on missions so quickly. I hope we can forget it and move on together going forward."

Shifting in his seat, Peter shook his head. "Forgetting it doesn't help, but I can forgive it."

"That's all we're asking," Bruce said with a proud smile.

"But I don't want to be treated like some kid you all have to put up with or something," Peter said looking around the room. "If I'm a part of the team then I need to know I'm actually a part of the team and not some mascot you're keeping around because of-because of Mr. Stark."

The others looked at each other before Rhdoey said, "You're not here because of Tony."

"What?" asked Peter.

Steve frowned, realizing he'd let Peter take the wrong impression from an old conversation. "We didn't let you in just because Tony dubbed you, Peter. We let you in because he spent five years telling us all how incredible you were and then we saw it. When you came back from the dead you didn't hesitate to go to war. You didn't hesitate to hold the most powerful object in the universe and rush through an alien army and defend it. You're an Avenger because you're a hero and you'll do what's right for the world, even if it means you… ending up like this, you protect people and fight to keep them safe. You're an Avenger because you're Peter Parker and Spider-Man, not because you're Tony Stark's protege."

The smile faded from Peter, leaving him shocked. It took him a second to gather himself enough to say, "Thank you."

"Does this mean you're not quitting after all?" Steve said with a smirk, "That maybe you were just having an off day, or made a bad joke?"

Peter smirked at him giving him an out to save face, but Peter shook his head. "No, I quit… but if you'd let me, I'd like to rejoin."

Steve was practically grinning as he nodded. "Welcome to the Avengers, Peter."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

After leaving the Avengers HQ, Happy drove them all back to Stark Tower. Pepper left Morgan with him before leading May and Peter to the elevators inside. It was there, stepping onto the elevator that May made Peter turn to her. "You swear you won't go out for at least two days?"

"I swear," he said with a nod.

"And when you do you'll call someone if you need help?"

"I'll stick to the neighborhood," he assured.

"Peter," she warned.

"I promise, May. I won't push myself, I just want to know if something happens I can help them."

May searched his eyes and sighed, nodding to Pepper, who tapped a button on the elevator and pressed her hand to the screen before the elevator doors closed and they descended. When the doors opened again they revealed a fairly large room with display cases, one holding Pepper's armor from the Battle of Earth and another holding the remnants of the one Tony died in. Beside that was another Iron Spider Armor suit, though this one was almost entirely a dark, metallic red with gold around the ankles, wrists, eyes and making up the large spider symbol stretching across the chest and back.

"Is that-" Peter began, stepping out of the elevator hesitantly. "He made me another suit?"

Pepper nodded, following him as he moved to stand in front of the display, staring wide eyed at the armor. "As I said, he thought he had a way to bring you back two years ago so he made preparations."

Peter shook his head, turning to look at the large table loaded with chemicals and equipment more expensive than most cars. Opposite that was a large pod that looked like some kind of deprivation chamber, but inside he found a plain black version of his suit, a blank slate for him to craft to his will.

"You can access this lab anytime you want," Pepper told him. "You're the only other person who can."

Tapping the glass of the pod, Peter turned to Pepper nodding. "I won't let him down."

She smiled, reaching up to stroke his cheek saying, "I know you won't." Once her hand left his face she waved it toward the pod. "Test it."

Peter spun around with a grin, using the terminal on the side. He found a bunch of preset designs loaded into it, but brought up his original suit as a base. From there he did a few test alterations; no red on the biceps, back of his forearms or palms, while adding a dark blue to most of the black sections. With a shrug he set it to craft and watched as the machines within began weaving the material within, bringing the virtual display to life. Once it was finished the machine limbs pulled the mask off the faceless mannequin within, folding the suit before placing it in a panel at the bottom of the pod.

"Do you mind?" He asked motioning to the suit as he pulled it from the pod.

"Go ahead," May said crossing her arms and shaking her head with a laugh.

Peter waved his hand, both women snickering as they turned around, letting Peter strip down to his boxers before stepping into the suit, which formed around his body much like the first. Pulling on the mask he saw the HUD flashing 'Calibrating.' and then 'Synching.' A moment later it shifted to the HUD he recognized from his other suits as he heard, "Hello, Peter."

"Karen!" He chuckled at the relief he felt hearing her voice. "I was worried."

"Why?"

"My other suits were broken. I thought maybe I lost you with them."

"Never," she assured. "I store a daily back up on the Stark satellite, which is backed up on a private Stark server."

"I'll keep that mind," he said looking at his hands as he opened and closed them, moving a bit to test the fit of the suit. While May and Pepper watched him he was glad he had the mask on and they couldn't see him wince slightly when he moved his left arm a bit too far.

"Alright it fits," May said waving a hand at him. "Get out before you think to ask if you can take it for a test swing. You promised me two days of rest."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Frederick Foswell spent two days looking over his shoulder. He had failed to deliver the robot and would no doubt be blamed for Answer's arrest. While he wasn't sure who Mac Gargan worked for he had no doubt it was somewhat powerful. He suspected Fisk, but he doubted Fisk would've gotten Gargan out of prison early instead of himself.

Whoever it was would surely be seeking blood, so Frederick almost wasn't surprised when he exited the coffee shop and felt a gun pressed into the small of his back. "Keep walking."

He was guided to an alley where he was put against a wall and allowed to turn, finding it was Mac himself holding the gun on him. "Freddie, you've disappointed my boss."

"I did what I could," he assured. "I did everything in the envelope."

"And you still screwed it up." Mac glaring at him.

Freddie gulped and raised his head. "Just get it over with."

Mac chuckled, surprising Freddie who saw him lower his gun. "I'm not here to kill you Freddie. Here, look." Mac pulled out his phone and unlocked it, tapping a few buttons before handing it to Freddie, who gasped when he saw a picture of his mother sleeping in her bed clearly taken from inside her room. "I'm just here to warn you what will happen if you tell anyone you spoke with me. One of my boys is hoping you slip up. He's got a thing for old girls."

"You son of-"

"Be smart, Freddie," Mac warned, raising his gun again. "Forget you ever saw me and I'll forget you ever existed. Yeah?" It took a moment for Freddie to nod, but when he did Mac smirked. "Good. Oh, and Big Man? He's dead. We've got someone coming in more suited to the position."

Freddie left the alley half expecting to be shot in the back, but made it to his car and ran two lights before he finally managed to take a steady breath. It was a miracle he made it back to the Bugle without crashing.

He was in a haze at his desk until he heard someone gasp, "Holy shit! Wilson Fisk is getting out of prison."

"What?" Half the room asked as Freddie stared wide eyed at the shaggy haired Ken Ellis.

"Some bullshit about rehabilitation release," Ken said scoffing.

Freddie frowned as he stared at his computer realizing this must be what Mac meant about having someone more suited for the position. However he also realized it meant Fisk almost definitely wasn't Mac's boss. Whoever his boss was managed to get both men out of prison.

He was in a daze for the rest of the day, but put on a smile when the interns checked in on him, reminding him it was past five. "Oh, of course. Give me a second." He shut his computer down with a tap and slipped on his coat as he followed the small group to the elevator.

Freddie didn't both listening to their prattle, his mind torn between wondering what he would do about Big Man and the loss of income and who Mac's boss could be. He was on auto-pilot, following the interns out of the building until Spider-Man landed in front of them.

Betty gasped at the sight of Peter in his new black and red suit while Ned stuttered before saying, "Spider-Man? What are you doing here?"

"You and I have somewhere to be, Little Guy," Spider-Man said firing a web at Freddie's chest which exploded to wrap around him, binding his arms to his side.

"What are you-" Freddie was silenced as a ball of web slammed into his jaw, covering his mouth and preventing him from speaking. He could breath, though it was stuffy.

"Here's your scoop," Spider-Man said to Ned. "Spider-Man has apprehended the crime boss known as Big Man and left him to be arrested with all the evidence of his blackmail network."

Freddie's eyes widened as Spider-Man pulled him off the ground, slinging him over his shoulder before launching himself into the air and firing a web to swing away. Betty and Ned stared at each other then the other interns before pushing them aside and rushing back into the building.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Captain! Hurry outside, you gotta see this!"

Dozens of officers filed out of the Queens precinct to gawk at the man tied to a telephone pole with the Big Man's mask stuck beside his head and half a bag, the other half in the hands of an officer who showed the captain it held a series of hard drives and a folder full of information revealing the man was Frederick Foswell of the Daily Bugle and the crime boss Big Man. Stuck to Foswell's chest was a paper which read 'To the NYPD' with a heart before being signed, 'Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.'

"What should we do, Captain?" one of the officers asked the sandy haired captain.

The captain's mustache shook as he laughed. "Let him cool off and when the web dissolves get him in cuffs and in cell."

With a nod the officer said, "You got it, Captain Stacy."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

"It's clear that this is a frame job by Spider-Man against an upstanding journalist and AMERICAN," J. Jonah Jameson said with a scoff. "For all we know under that mask is some illegal immigrant who can't speak a word of English!

"Either this is clearly an attempt to censor us after our stories questioning the public perception of Tony Stark, or it's flat out revenge for them! Either way we know that Spider-Man is a Stark apologist! And just like Stark you people are blind to the menace threatening our city!

"HE works with suspected killers like the Daredevil and suspected crime bosses like Luke Cage, and somehow even the Avengers are overlooking that to help him?! ARE THEY INSANE?! Of course they work with dangerous immigrants like Wanda Maximoff, but this is too far, and I won't stand for it. No, nu-uh, I will not stand by silently as Spider-Man ruins the life of a man I knew. A man I saw every day was a decent person. He wasn't even an intern and he would get me coffee without muttering like a little girl. He knew what hard work was and he did it! He wished he could be the next J. Jonah Jameson! And with my guidance he just might have if not for that hazard to human life, Spider-Man!"

"He's nothing if not loyal," Peter said watching the screen with his arms crossed in the Avengers HQ common room.

"And focused," said Sam. "It's been weeks but every show has at least five minutes about you."

"It's supposed to be funny, isn't it?" Bucky asked looking around the room. "Right?"

"Sorry he dragged you into it," said Peter to Wanda.

"He's' an idiot," she said shaking her head. "You left evidence they used in the arrest, but he ignores it because it doesn't fit his story. He uses me as a tool against you." She knew what it felt like to have the news demonize her for a mistake, she couldn't imagine how frustrating it would be to be treated with such vitriol for doing the right thing.

Peter could see the sympathy in her gaze and smiled. "Don't worry about it. I don't mind JJ crapping on me. I remember how people treated Tony."

"What do you mean?" Steve asked setting down his drink.

"They blamed him for Ultron. Half of you blamed him for the Accords as if he wrote them. People blamed him for wars other people fought with his weapons. They blamed him for not stopping other wars after he became Iron Man. He was a scapegoat for people's anger, but in the end the truth showed and now…" Peter sighed. "Now he's a martyr for stopping Thanos."

Peter grabbed his bag off the couch and shrugged. "I can deal with people thinking I'm awful because I know I'm not. Hopefully the people who care can see it too, but if not then I'm sure it will show in the end."

He waved to them and left pulling on his mask. It was Bruce who broke the brief silence asking, "What's with him?"

"He's been extra speechy, right?" Sam said arching his brow. "Maybe he's taking after Steve."

Bucky chuckled as Steve shook his head and Wanda said "He's been making practice speeches since he found out he's going to be valedictorian."

"He is?" Bruce perked up. "That's great!"

"Why didn't he say anything?" asked Sam. "We could do something."

Wanda hesitated before answering, "Well, he said it doesn't really matter. It's not as if you can all just show up for his graduation." Seeing them all share a glance Wanda frowned. "I was already planning on going. I think they'd at least notice Bruce."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

They did notice Bruce, but he managed to convince people he was there to give a speech about the importance of science. The others were easier to hide in the crowd gathered to watch their children graduate. Most people hadn't seen Cap since he went with the stones so he was just an old man in a cap there to see his grand nephew. Bucky had a bit of effort in hiding his arm, but gloves and long sleeves did the trick while Sam and Wanda simply dressed down.

While Peter smiled at them all from his seat on stage, his brow rose in surprise when he saw Stephen Strange sat behind May, Steve, Pepper, Happy and Morgan. Their eyes met and Strange flashed him a smirk Peter returned before looking to Hulk as he finished his speech and looked over his shoulder to wink at Peter.

He almost missed his cue until Bruce elbowed him, earning a few chuckles as he got to his feet and made his way to the podium at the head of the stage. Standing in front of the microphone he took a breath and smiled. "Good morning, everyone. Faculty, family and friends. It's an honor to be here before you today. To many today must've seemed impossible after five years in a world which must have seemed half empty, but here we are. Proof that the impossible is a problem for us to solve. That hope isn't some light at the end of the tunnel, but the fuel we use to craft the world we want.

"Before he died my uncle always told me with great power comes great responsibility, and we've never had more power than we do now. As we graduate we find ourselves entering a new phase of our lives, entering a new world, making a new start, and it's our responsibility to make them count. To be better people. To make a better world. For five years we were knocked down, but this is our chance to get back on our feet and turn all of that pain into hope. Hope for a better tomorrow, which can only come if we work for a better today."

Peter took a breath as he looked at the podium and put on a smile as he took on his phone. "Now for the speech I actually wrote."

Thankfully his written speech was lighter, getting a few belly laughs from the students and chuckles from the others before thanking them and returning to his seat. Bruce squeezed his shoulder as he took his seat, beaming at Peter and giving him a nod.

Once he had his diploma in hand, Peter made his way toward May. "They would be so proud," she said squeezing him in her arms.

Peter noticed quite a few people gawking at them as he then hugged a teary eyed Pepper Potts who said, "Tony would have loved it."

"I'd hope so," he said setting his cap on Morgan's head before taking her from Pepper to hug her and return her. When Happy stuck his hand out to shake his hand, Peter shook his head instead and pulled him into a hug, the men patting each others backs as they separated.

Turning to Steve he said with a smirk. "I wasn't expecting to see you, Uncle Steve."

Steve smirked as he gave Peter a quick hug before stepping aside so Peter could shake Stephen's hand. Pepper kissed his cheek telling Peter, "We'll meet you at the penthouse."

He thanked her, watching her leave and taking most of the gawker's attention with her, leaving the others free to approach without too much attention. There was still some, Peter hearing more than a few curious whispers from his classmates when Wanda hugged him, but that quickly faded when they saw Bruce making his way over.

"That was a fine speech, son," he said reaching out to shake Peter's hand with an unsubtle wink.

Peter sighed, shaking the offered hand. "While you're all here. How about you guys join us for lunch at Pepper's?"

He was glad they all come, though Peter stayed behind with May to talk to some of the staff, take a few pictures and even, to Peter's surprise, sign a few yearbooks. It was mostly to eat up time and not leave with the others and draw even more suspicion than he already would.

When they arrived at the Stark Penthouse they were greeted by a shriek as Morgan ran up with Peter's cap barely hanging onto her head. He snatched her up, putting her on the shoulder opposite his gown as he made his way to the dining room where his entrance was met with applause and cheers.

There was an entire table full off food for them to eat. Apparently Pepper had invited them well before Peter, hoping to surprise him before she realized they would be at the graduation. It was still weird seeing May having a casual conversation with the Hulk or seeing her sharing beauty tips with Wanda, but she got along with everyone.

After finishing his plate, Peter excused himself, leaving his gown on the chair as he stepped out onto the balcony overlooking the city and took a deep breath. His scanned the city, hearing the distant wail of sirens, the honk of horns and yells which made him smile. When he first came back the world felt dead because of all he lost, but it never was. Even with half of them gone the rest had continued living, making the best lives they could. Now it was Peter's turn to make the best one he could.

His gaze shifted from the new Stark Tower to the old Avengers Tower which had finally finished construction. Once it had felt like the core of the city but now was a brilliant, neon lit OsCorp branded spike through the heart, reminding him that Tony was gone and nothing would be the same.

He heard the doors open, the click of heels leaving no doubt it was Pepper well before he turned to her. "I hope I'm not interrupting," she said with a smile.

"Just thinking," Peter said shaking his head, turning back with his elbows on the high railing.

"Hopefully not thinking about changing colleges," she said moving to stand beside him. "I just sent in all the information for the scholarship last week."

Chuckling, Peter shook his head. "No. No, I'm still Empire bound."

"Then what?" she asked leaning against the rail. If there weren't at least three people who could save her she might have felt nervous, but even without her suit waiting to fly to her she knew she'd never hit the ground even if the balcony collapsed.

Peter glanced toward the door before turning to Pepper. "Everything's changed… but it doesn't mean everything's bad. We're not broken. It can't ever be the best without them but maybe we really can make it better."

"I know you can," Pepper said an approving smile before holding out the glasses case she'd been holding, "and so did Tony."

Glancing at the case, Peter shook his head. "I told you I don't need a gift-"

"It's not from me," she said solemnly.

Peter eyed her before cautiously taking the case and opening it to find a pair of Stark Industries sunglasses. While the company logo was embroidered on the bottom of the case, on the top was a small paper with Tony's handwriting. 'For the next Tony Stark.'

"Are these-"

"They're yours," said Pepper. "And everything with them." Before he could wonder what she meant, Pepper told him, "Try them on."

Nodding, Peter carefully pulled them out of the case, which Pepper took from him, and slid them on. The moment they were behind his eyes and on the bridge of his nose the lenses flashed ans a voice reverberated in his ears. "Hello, Peter. I'm EDITH. Congratulations on graduating."

"Wha-uh, thanks-wait, how did you know?" When he turned to Pepper he saw the lens instantly display a small screen with her name and occupation listed below a picture of her with an option to view more. Similar windows appeared for the others when he looked to the apartment.

"Mr. Stark asked Miss Potts to give you access to my upon graduating so you wouldn't be overwhelmed."

"Overwhelmed?" Peter chuckled, glancing at Pepper who arched her brow watching him look out toward the city. "You're not my first AI, you know."

"Overwhelmed by having access to all of Mr. Stark's files and control of all Stark Industries systems."

Peter's smirk fell away as he blankly asked, "What?"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

It was late when Peter made his way into Stark Tower, waving to the receptionists. EDITH not only revealed their names but that the receptionist Judith spent her Fridays dancing at the Long Pole as Jasmine. He quickly looked away to hide the flush of his cheeks as the guard waved him through saying, "Nice shades."

"Graduation gift," Peter said with a laugh, spinning around so he walked backward toward the elevators briefly.

As it carried him down to the private lab, Peter swung his bag around, pulling out the notebook full of designs he wanted to program into the suit. He wouldn't make them all now, but wanted them in the pod's system at least.

When he entered the lab he heard an odd beep and looked around, but his spidey-sense had flared so he continued on his path to the pod. He cast a quick glance to the scarlet and gold Iron Spider Armor Mark II while tossing his bag beside the pod and laying his notebook on top of it.

"Nice work, Kid."

The words echoed in his mind and for a split second he was a kid in an Iron Man mask aiming his toy repulsor at one a Hammer Drone until Stark appeared and obliterated it for him. Peter spun around gasping at the sight of Tony Stark standing in the middle of the lab smirking at him.

"Mister Stark?" Peter quickly realized is was a projection and asked, "Are you an AI?"

"If you're hearing this that means you're alone and FRIDAY detected EDITH, which means you've graduated. So congrats on that. You're an adult now, and that means adult responsibilities. But you're also you, which means I can trust you to take on a few more responsibilities than paying a bill or staying out late… Whatever normal kids do. Because you're not normal, are you? Not that it's bad. It's great. You're great, Peter. It's why I'm not worried about Pepper or Morgan without me there. I know you'll watch out for them, just like I know Pep will be there if you need her. The point is, you're not just some normal kid, which is why I'm asking you to do what I couldn't.

"When you activated EDITH you also became the lead on a secret project I worked on a bit back when… I thought maybe I could fix things." Tony sighed and looked away, shaking his head to calm himself before looking back ahead. "It's a project I never told anyone about. Not even Pepper, though you can bring in whoever you trust. I'm not giving you this just to carry on my legacy, Pete. I want you to build you own. This is your project now. I want you to help others be better, like you did with me." After a moment Tony smirked saying, "God I hope I'm not alive if you somehow see that."

Peter smiled, reaching up to wipe a tear as it touched his cheek.

"Might as well get to the point. I want you to build this," Tony said holding up his projected hand a split second before a large island appeared above it and grew, passing through Peter. "A while back I managed to get the okay to build a man made island in the Atlantic. I want you to make it a home for the Avengers."

Peter's brow knit as he looked around the projected island map. "Avengers Island."

"It's named Project Hydrobase, but I'm sure you'll end up calling it Avengers Island or something," Tony said shaking his head while Peter smirked. "Whatever you call it doesn't matter as much as what it is. What it could be. It's not just a base for the Avengers, but one separate from the rest of the world. Neutral ground. This way at least if anyone ever tries to attack you it won't risk civilians and be used against you.

"But obviously that isn't enough. You won't all be there all the time, and even then… The Avengers already broke apart once. If it happens again I trust you more than I do the others. And I want to know you're safe. Which is why I gave you a head start on the new Iron Legion."

The wall beside the pod suddenly slid open and Peter stepped toward it, gasping when he saw it lead to a massive room full of display cases like the ones holding his Iron Spider Armor and Pepper's Armor. Most were empty, but there were about thirty cases housing armors of varying designs.

Peter stared at the room, taking a moment to absorb it all before exclaiming, "What the fu-"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

They hadn't defeated anyone or saved the world, but the day felt like a victory as the Avengers returned to their HQ. Steve entered his room and reached for the light switch when he froze, turning his gaze on the one-eyed black man sat at his desk.

"Fury?"

"We lost Nicholson," he said dejectedly.

"The Answer?" Steve asked sitting on the edge of his bed. "He's dead?"

"Snatched. Someone hit the truck carrying him. All our agents are dead and he's gone."

"Any idea who?"

Fury shook his head, leaning forward. "Th e bigger problem is the results came back on the rest I had run on him. Those scars across his body? They were grafts from an Inhuman and a Skrull. That's how he got his abilities. Someone gave them to him."

Frowning, Steve asked, "Who?"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Aaron Nicholson slammed his hand against the mirrored cell wall, suspecting someone else was on the other side.

His suspicions would prove right as two men stood on a walkway looking down on the cells until Aaron gave up and retreated to his bed. Tapping a button to cut the feed to Aaron's cell, the lanky, olive skinned Miles Warren let out a sigh claiming Aaron, "Just a living failure."

"Which is no surprise," said the gray haired Spencer Smythe. "I needed the information on the Ultimo, if not the robot itself. Without it-"

"There's no need to worry, gentlemen."

Both men turned to see an average sized man with swept back chestnut hair and a clean shaven face standing beside them in an expensive suit with his hands tucked in his pockets and a smile touching his lips.

"The Answer project wasn't a complete failure. It's simply a precursor to better things," he said holding up a pair of folders.

"Two new projects?" asked Warren.

"We know it's possible to survive grafting Skrulls to humans, let's see if we can't obtain their shape shifting ability as well."

Warren took the offered folder and nodded, reading the project's name, "Chameleon."

"And while we work on that I'll find a way to get us a live Skrull. Perhaps they'll have an easier time integrating the Inhuman cells and accessing their abilities."

Taking a second folder, Warren knit his brow saying, "Super Skrull?"

His answer was a simple smile before Smythe became the focus of the attention. "I have people reaching out to the Mandarin. If he won't make a deal then I'm sure we can find a way to convince him. Either way, I promise you'll get whatever you need to finish your Hunter-Slayers."

Smythe stood up straight and bowed, grinning as he said, "I can't thank you enough for this, Mr. Osborn."

"Please," he said holding up a hand as his lips stretched into a grin. "Norman's fine."

* * *

**AN:**

I considered briefly making it a fake out where Norman went by the fake name Keeler and it turned out Harley Keeler was actually Harry Osborn, but Harley never made a huge impact on me and it seems a bit much for a reveal that isn't that great, just a fun tie in. Plus I don't want Harry to be yet another character motivated in some way by Tony Stark. There's plenty of those out there without having it be so direct with Harry when he comes along.

Actor-wise, not sure about anyone but for Norman I kinda picture Ewan McGregor, or maybe Matthew McConaughey. A bit of a smoother, wannabe Tony type.

Anyway that's the end of this story. Since this one story didn't get much of a reaction I'm not sure if I'll continue with the series much, but at least this is done. I also have the first chapter or two of a followup to this story, but I'm not sure how far I'll end up going with it. I say followup and not sequel only because it wouldn't continue the main story much and is more of a side story. It is still part of the If This Be My Home series though. I'll probably post that story soon, so either keep an eye out for it or check it out depending on when you read this.

I also have another MCU story I'm thinking about that I might throw up, but will be very different from this.


End file.
